Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the situation in the south and Donbass region remains extremely difficult, and reiterated that Russia is massing its forces near the besieged city of Mariupol.
"There will be battles ahead, we still need to go down a very difficult path to get everything we want," Zelensky added in a late-night video.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials announced Thursday evening that the Russian forces had left the Chernobyl station, which they had occupied since the start of the war on Ukraine on February 24, and had taken hostages with them.
"The Russian occupiers took with them, during their departure from the Chernobyl nuclear plant, members of the National Guard who were holding them hostage," the Ukrainian government agency "Energoatom" quoted employees as saying. It is not known how many Ukrainian soldiers were held by the Russian forces.
The agency accused the Russian forces of "looting buildings and stealing equipment and other valuables", while leaving the station, and Ukrainian specialists will search the station for any "improvised explosive devices", according to the same agency.
Here are the latest developments on the 37th day of this war:
34 minutes ago
Ukrainian President: dismissal of the head of internal security and director of the branch of the service in Kherson because they betrayed the oath of allegiance to the state.
38 minutes ago
Ukrainian President: Russian forces withdrew from the areas where they encountered difficulties to focus on more important areas.
43 minutes ago
Ukrainian President: Our forces confronted the Russian forces in the north of Kyiv towards Chernihiv and in Sumy.
47 minutes ago
Ukrainian President: The situation in the southern regions and in the Donbass region is still very difficult.