As Ukrainian cities are under renewed Russian attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on people around the world to demonstrate on Thursday to mark one month since the start of Russia’s attack.

“Come from your offices, your homes, your schools and universities. Come in the name of peace, come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to support freedom, life. Come to your squares and streets, make yourself visible and heard,” Mr Zelensky said in a video message early Thursday.

He added, “Say that people matter, freedom matters, Ukraine matters.”

Mr Zelensky also stated that Russia started the war against freedom, stressing that Moscow is trying to defeat the freedom of all people in Europe and the world.

“For that reason, I ask you to stand against the war starting from March 24, exactly one month after the Russian invasion,” he stated.

Fighting continued around the besieged city of Izyum, the Ukrainian generals said in a daily report posted on Facebook early Thursday.

In the eastern Donetsk region, the generals said the vast majority of Ukrainian units were under fire.

In neighbouring Luhansk, efforts focused on the cities of Rubizhne, with a population of 60,000, Severodonetsk with a population of 100,000 and Popasna with 20,000 inhabitants, the report said.

Combat operations also continued in the north of the country as Russian artillery fire was reported on the towns of Kalynivka, Horinka, Romanovka and the north-eastern outskirts of Kyiv.

According to the report, Ukrainian forces stopped Russian troops near the Kyiv suburb of Brovary.

It added that Russian forces failed to break through Ukrainian defences to reach the north-western outskirts of the capital Kyiv.

(dpa/NAN)