Ukraine must move beyond defending against Russian attacks and go on the offensive to put "pressure on Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
"This war must end, we must put pressure on Russia," he said in his evening video address. Russian President Vladimir Putin understands "nothing but power and pressure," he said.
The comments came after US President Donald Trump, who has been seeking to end the conflict, posted on his Truth Social platform that "It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders [sic] country."
Kiev launched a major surprise counteroffensive into the Russian region of Kursk last year, but the assault eventually collapsed due to deeply entrenched Russian defences.
Ukrainian forces have launched counterattacks in recent days, including in the north-eastern Sumy region and near the eastern city of Pokrovsk.
The transport hub in Donetsk province has once again been the scene of heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops.
By early Thursday evening, a total of 24 armed clashes had been reported to the general staff in Kiev, according to a statement posted on Facebook.
However, this time it was not the Russians but the Ukrainians who went on the offensive, army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi posted on Telegram, adding that six settlements were recaptured.
"Despite the enemy's numerical superiority, the units of the Armed Forces and National Guard of Ukraine are fulfilling their tasks with honour," he wrote.
"As a result of successful strike and search operations, six towns have been cleared and hundreds of Russian occupiers have been annihilated."
The information could not be independently verified.
A few days ago, the Ukrainian military reinforced its troops around Pokrovsk to stop the steadily advancing Russian units. The city has already been largely destroyed in months of heavy fighting.
In addition to the military operations, Ukraine also wants to maintain diplomatic efforts to find ways to negotiate and achieve peace, Zelensky said.
The military leadership is in contact with foreign partners in order to work on the military component of the security guarantees for Ukraine.
Kiev's European partners want to secure Ukraine with a troop presence following a peace agreement, but Russia has presented different proposals.
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the permanent members of the UN Security Council, including Russia, should instead guarantee peace. As Russia could block a deployment at any time, this option is out of the question for Kiev.
While diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict continue, Russia launched another heavy wave of rockets and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight.
