"We will battle for every meter", says Ukraine's Zelenskyy

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that they don't believe anyone, not a single beautiful phrase. Adding that, the Russian troops were regrouping to strike the eastern Donbas region. 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday dismissed Russia's promise to de-escalate fighting with his country, stating Ukraine's military was preparing for more fighting in the east. 

In a video address to the nation, Zelenskyy stated that they don't believe anyone, not a single beautiful phrase. Adding that, the Russian troops were regrouping to strike the eastern Donbas region. 

Zelenskyy added that they would not give anything away. "We will battle for every metre of our territory," he stated. 

Post another round of peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday, a Russian negotiator stated that Moscow would radically reduce its attacks around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernigiv. During the night, however, shelling continued.

US military officials on Wednesday stated that Russian troops had begun to withdraw from the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant north of Kyiv.

On the condition of anonymity, the US defence official said that they think that Russian troops are leaving, however, they can't say they're all gone. 

In a video address, Zelenskyy stated that any retreat by Russian forces was due to the work of Ukraine defenders. 

Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has all right to demand weapons from the international community, including tanks, planes, artillery systems, as the centre of the global fight for freedom. 

He added that freedom and tyranny must be armed.

In a recent development, the Russian defence ministry declared a local ceasefire on Thursday to allow residents to be evacuated from Ukraine's port of Mariupol, which has been under siege for weeks and has left with no water, food and power.