Premium| Listen to this article |
Russia-Ukraine war: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that his country had thwarted Russia's "sneaky" plans, saying he was proud of the "heroic" resistance to Moscow's invasion, as per AFP report.
"We are a nation that broke the enemy's plans in a week. Plans written for years: sneaky, full of hatred for our country, our people," Zelensky said in a video posted on Telegram.
Additionally, Zelensky wrote on Twitter that he had spoken to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and "thanked him for the leadership in imposing anti-Russian sanctions." "Stressed the need to expand restrictive measures. The bombing of civilians in Ukraine must be stopped immediately," he wrote.
Ukrainian President said he "sincerely admired the heroic residents" of cities who have resisted the advance of Russian forces. He added that around 9,000 Russian soldiers had been killed since the invasion began a week ago, a claim not immediately verifiable as Moscow does not report its losses.
Meanwhile, the United States raised the alarm Wednesday over the "staggering" human cost of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, as the apparent deployment of cluster bombs and other treaty-violating weapons raised fears of a brutal escalation in the week-old conflict.
The American warnings came as Russia revealed 498 of its troops had been killed in the assault on ex-Soviet Ukraine -- the first official death toll it has given and one Kyiv says is by far an undercount.
And they came on the eve of the resumption of ceasefire talks after a first round Monday failed to produce a breakthrough.
On the ground in Ukraine, Russia appeared despite determined resistance to be intensifying the offensive ordered seven days earlier by President Vladimir Putin -- in defiance of almost the entire international community.
(With inputs from agencies)
Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!