"Now we can say that Russian troops have started the battle for Donbas they have long been preparing for," Zelensky said in a video message late on
Monday.
"A large part of the Russian army is now focused on this offensive," he added.
Zelensky also said in his video address that Ukraine would fight "no matter how many Russian soldiers are driven there."
"We will defend ourselves," he told the nation in his daily speech, as cited by the ukrinform.net website. "We will do this every day. We will not give anything Ukrainian, and we do not need something that does not belong to us."
'Second phase of the war'
Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Ukrainian forces could hold off the offensive in "the second phase of the war," the Reuters news agency reported.
"Believe in our army, it is very strong," Yermak said, as quoted by Reuters.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, ukrinform.net