President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Russian leadership wants to use Christmas as a cover to stop Ukrainian troops in Donbas and bring in equipment.

"On November 15, the Ukrainian Peace Formula was presented. One of its points provides for the withdrawal of Russian occupation troops from the territory of our country. This is a guaranteed and reliable way to cease fire, stop casualties and war in general. As of the morning of the same day, the number of Russian soldiers killed was 82,000. On December 12, Russia received an offer to begin implementation of the Peace Formula with the withdrawal of occupation troops just on Christmas Day," he said in a video message Thursday, addressing the Russians.

"As of that day, the number of dead Russian soldiers was almost 95,000," he added.

"Apparently both of our proposals have not been heard by the leaders of your country... In the place where they are, apparently, it is too deep to hear. As of today, you have already lost almost 110,000 of your soldiers killed in this war. Those who continued the terror against our country and sent all those people of yours to the slaughter, rejecting our offers to stop the Russian aggression, certainly do not value life and definitely do not seek peace," he said.

"Now they want to use Christmas as a cover to at least briefly stop the advance of our guys in Donbas and bring equipment, ammunition and mobilized men closer to our positions. What will this bring? Just another increase in the death toll," Zelensky said.

"But to end the war faster, that is not what is needed at all. What is needed is the citizens of Russia who will find the courage to free themselves of their shameful fear of one man in the Kremlin, at least for 36 hours, at least at Christmas time," Zelensky said.

Your fear of him, he told the Russians, is destroying your country, which "is also already deep ... but not in a bunker."

"To end the war is to end your state's aggression. Even when your missiles and drones are not hitting our cities, the terror in the occupied territories continues. You don't give Ukrainians any respite. People are tortured, electrocuted, raped. This continues every day while your soldiers are on our soil," the president said.

"And the war will be over when your soldiers either leave or we drive them out. So, let them take the toilet bowls - they'll need them on the road - and go back home. Behind our border of 1991," he concluded.