Russia made this week really difficult only for itself, says Zelenskyy
Amid Russia’s false annexation claims, Ukraine takes back more territory from invaders (Photo:General Staff / Telegram)
The Kremlin and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin wanted to make this week difficult for Ukraine, but everything turned out the other way around, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his evening address on Oct 1.
“Another week of our war for our independence is coming to an end,” the president said. “A week that the enemy really wanted to make especially hard for us, but ended up making it really hard only for themselves, for Russia itself.”
Zelenskyy noted that while Russia held its pseudo-referendums in the occupied territories and the meeting of collaborators with the Kremlin dictator Putin in Moscow, a Ukrainian counter-offensive and the retreat of the invaders was taking place in Donetsk Oblast. At the same time, the world community has condemned Russia’s sham referendums and false annexation claims.
“But the main thing now is the resistance of the Ukrainians, the defense and movement towards the liberation of the entire Ukrainian territory,” Zelenskyy said.
President Zelenskyy also confirmed that the Ukrainian flag had been raised in the city of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, but said there was still fighting ongoing there.
The president also said that this week there more Ukrainian flags were raised in the Donbas, and in another week there would be even more.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense later announced the retreat of its troops from Lyman, calling it a "withdrawal to more advantageous lines."
Ukraine also confirmed the liberation of five settlements near Lyman: Yampil, Novoselivka, Shandryholove, Drobysheve and Stavky. About 5,000 invaders were said to be surrounded in Lyman.
From Sept. 23-27, Russia staged sham referendums in the occupied parts of Ukraine. The majority of Western countries have declared that the results of the sham referendums will not be recognized.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on Sept 30. signed "agreements" on the annexation Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine with the leaders of the "L/DPR" terrorist organizations and collaborators in Kherson and Zaporizhzhya oblasts.
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