Volodymyr Zelensky has mentioned that Russian forces "will run" if Ukraine can drive residence its counteroffensive.

It comes as Ukraine recaptured oil and gasoline drilling platforms within the Black Sea, which have been occupied by Russia because the unlawful annexation of Crimea in 2014. The Boika Towers had been utilized by Russia as touchdown pads for army helicopters and as a manner of monitoring the motion of ships within the Black Sea.

Now, after the breakthrough within the Black Sea, Ukraine is hoping to push on within the Zaporizhzhia area, to the north east of Crimea. Securing this area had been a key intention of the Russian invasion, because it and Donetsk present a landbridge to Crimea - which has been residence to the Russian navy's heat water fleet, which has a base at Sevastopol, for 250 years.

Now, in an interview printed yesterday (Sunday, September 10), Zelensky mentioned this form of regular progress was important to sustaining Ukrainian morale. And he mentioned that if Ukraine can assault the Russian defences from the south, Putin's forces will flee.

Zelensky instructed the Economist: “Keeping morale excessive is essential. This is why even restricted progress on the frontline is crucial.

“Now we have now motion. It’s vital. If we push them from the south, they'll run."

However, Zelensky warned that a Ukrainian victory would not come “tomorrow or the day after tomorrow”. But he said the Russian army is losing “lots of people” - and has had to redeploy its reserves to stop the Ukrainian advance.

“It means they lose,” he added.

And, in his nightly address yesterday (Sunday, September 10) Zelensky said that Ukrainian troops have advanced on the southern front and made ground in the past week near Bakhmut in the east.

The President said: “Over the past seven days we have made an advance in the Tavria (southern) sector. There is movement in the Bakhmut sector. Yes, there is movement.”

Meanwhile, he also said that Ukrainian forces were holding their ground against Russian attacks in Donetsk.

In his address on Monday night (September 11), Zelensky said he had "good news". He told "expensive Ukrainians" that "we're getting ready to strengthen the package deal of defence assist from Germany". He said this would include air defence systems, artillery and other equipment.

However, he also acknowledged that, "since this morning, varied Ukrainian cities and areas have been hit by Russian assaults". He said there had been "brutal Russian shelling" in multiple areas, not just the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

"Even when there's a relative peace and quiet in some elements of our territory, we should always at all times keep in mind our land, our cities, and villages which might be virtually continuously underneath hearth," said Zelensky.

"And despite the fact that at this time is the 565th day of this conflict, all of us, every and everybody in Ukraine, ought to stay centered on defending the state simply as we did within the early days. Russia doesn't hope to win. The enemy hopes solely that we are going to not endure. Ukraine should endure. Anything that strengthens us is a precedence. And solely that could be a precedence."