Ukrainians refuse to play by the rules of the Russian occupiers and go out against armed enemies, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"I understand how difficult a decision is when during the occupation to go against armed enemies. I feel how risky it is, but I see how our people refuse to play by the rules of the occupiers, how our people remain Ukrainians, how our people remain with our state, even temporarily in the dark. If Russian politicians still have eyes, they will be able to see what Ukraine is, what our freedom is," the head of state said in his video message.

He drew attention to the fact that Russian propagandists thought of Ukrainians as of themselves, but they saw that, for example, Kherson residents are "proud, respect themselves and respect Ukraine."

"Ukrainians are united from Uzhgorod to Kharkiv, from Kyiv to Kherson. Ukrainians are chasing the enemy near Kyiv, they are beating to return back Okhtyrka, they are punishing for Hostomel, they will avenge for Kherson: our Kherson, Ukrainian Kherson, which they tried to humiliate today, but did not work out, they were not allowed. Ukrainians showed themselves. They did not allow to be played in a cheap, cynical performance with a handout instead of help, with propaganda instead of sincerity," Zelensky said.

According to him, the occupiers thought that they would force the Ukrainians to submit if they turned off television, communications, electricity, or took away food.

''But even if you deprive us of oxygen, we will take a deep breath to say: away from our land! Even in complete darkness, we see the truth. And we will fight until it gets dark in our eyes, as we are warriors of light. And today no one on Earth will be able to say that this remark is pathos," the President said.