Zelensky warns of Russian attacks ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of more severe attacks from Russia ahead of the country’s Independence Day as Russian forces continue to make rapid territorial advances across the war-ravaged country.

Urging vigilance, Zelensky claimed on Monday that Moscow may try "something particularly ugly" ahead of Wednesday, which marks Ukraine's 31st anniversary of independence from the former Soviet Union.

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements and Moscow’s recognition of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin said one of the goals of what he called a “special military operation” was to “de-Nazify” Ukraine.

"All of Ukraine's partners have been informed about what the state can prepare for this week," Zelensky asserted in his nightly video address as quoted in a Reuters report, referring to Russia.

The Western-backed Ukrainian president further stated that he had discussed "all the threats" with French President Emmanuel Macron and word had also been sent to other leaders, including Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to the report.

He said if Moscow goes ahead with plans to try captured Ukrainian officers in Mariupol, it would violate international rules and halt negotiations with Russia.  

"If this despicable show trial were to go ahead ... this would be the line beyond which negotiations are no longer possible," Zelensky asserted. "There will be no more conversations. Our state has said everything."

Zelensky’s remarks came as Russian artillery shells pounded the Ukrainian city of Nikopol, near Zaporizhzhia -- Europe's largest nuclear plant -- while missiles targeted Kiev’s munitions depot containing newly-arrived US-made weaponry near the Black Sea Port of Odesa over the weekend.

ME