But Ukraine's offensive in Russian Kursk, which has been ongoing since August last year, has forced Russia to withdraw forces from other parts of the front. This has alleviated the pressure on Ukrainian forces fighting to maintain control over the important logistics hub Pokrovsk in the east, adds Zelenskyj.
I believe that the situation in Pokrovsk is now stable, and it will be difficult to find a new opportunity to capture Pokrovsk again, he says.
Russian forces have retaken much of the territory Ukraine originally controlled in Kursk. This gives Ukraine a worse position in negotiations with Russia.
On Friday morning, reports emerged that Ukraine had attacked an oil refinery in the Russian port city of Tuapse on the Black Sea.
A fire covering over 1,000 square meters has been fought, according to the Russian governor Veniamin Kondratjev in the Krasnodar region.
In Ukraine, the city of Kharkiv was subjected to a Russian drone attack on Thursday evening. Seven people, including four children, have been treated for acute stress reaction, according to Ukrainian authorities.
