Zelenskyy urges Ukrainian troops to ignore outside pessimism as war drags on

Despite a months-long offensive, the vast frontline in Ukraine's east and south has moved little in the past year, spurring criticism and impatience among some Western allies.

Ukraine’s attacks on the Russian Navy in the Black Sea have crippled Moscow’s war efforts, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday, seeking to rally his troops even as the outside world expects instant successes.

Despite Kyiv’s grueling months-long offensive, the vast frontline in Ukraine’s east and south has moved little in the past year, spurring criticism and impatience among some of Ukraine’s Western allies.

“We live in a world that gets used to success too quickly. When the full-scale invasion began, many people around the world did not believe that Ukraine would survive,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. “Glory to all those who do not retreat, who do not burn out, who believe in Ukraine just as they did on February 24, and who has been fighting for unwaveringly.”

The war, which Russia launched on Feb. 24, 2022, is now in its 20th month and has no end in sight. Russian forces have geared up for fresh attacks in different sections of the front and are suffering heavy losses.

Zelenskyy said his troops have succeeded in diminishing Moscow’s military strength in the Black Sea, which he said with greater support from Kyiv’s allies could lead to Ukraine’s ultimate victory over Russia.

The Black Sea has become a crucial theater in the war. Ukraine’s increased air and sea drone attacks on Russian military targets there have damaged ship and naval repair yards in the port of Sevastopol, and struck other targets.

Moscow uses its fleet in the Black Sea to launch long-range strikes on Ukraine. But for President Vladimir Putin, the waters – which connect to the Mediterranean Sea – are also an important springboard for projecting power into the Middle East, Europe and the West.

“When we ensure even more security to the Black Sea, Russia will lose any ability to dominate in this area and expand its malign influence to other countries,” Zelenskyy said.