Russia will not only fail to seize further territory in Ukraine, but will lose what it currently holds and must prepare its citizens, the Ukrainian president said in his speech last night. Volodymyr Zelensky.

He added that “there is no alternative and there will be none” other than to expel Russian troops from Ukraine.

Step by step, the Ukrainian forces are progressing to liberate the country, he assured. Kiev expects new military aid commitments from its allies within the week, he continued.

He mocked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putinwho said in St. Petersburg on Friday that Russian forces had destroyed five American-made Patriot air defense systems.

According to American media, there are only two such systems developed in Ukraine.

Mr. Zelensky assured that “not a single Patriot system has been destroyed” and claimed that at least thirty-six Russian missiles had been shot down in the past seven days.

Yesterday, a pro-Russian official admitted that Ukrainian forces recaptured a village in the Zaporizhia region, although they suffered heavy losses. This is a rare acknowledgment by officials close to Moscow that the Ukrainian side launched its counterattack.

According to Vladimir Rogov, “Ukrainian forces managed to take” the village of Pyatikhatki, although they suffered “colossal losses” according to him: they lost hundreds of men.

There was no confirmation from the Ukrainian side.

According to Mr. Rogov, the area is being bombarded by Russian artillery and the aim is to surround the Ukrainian forces, amid ongoing heavy fighting.

The Ukrainian armed forces reported that fighting is taking place in various directions on the fronts. Images of a Ukrainian Air Force strike on an ammunition depot in the Russian-controlled part of the Kherson region (south) are circulating on social networking sites.