Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stressed the special importance of co-operation between all the country's structures on the 600th "day of the all-encompassing war".
Whether military, business or private initiatives, they all together enabled the people and cities of Ukraine "to live a normal life," Zelenskiy said in his evening video address on Monday.
"All of this together keeps us resilient. All of this together adds to Ukraine's strength."
Outside support is also important in this regard, Zelenskiy said, referring to his meeting earlier in the day with the US special envoy for Ukraine's reconstruction, Penny Pritzker.
"Such a visit on such a day is an important signal."
Above all, Zelenskiy said, the long-term support programs for Ukraine are of great importance. He compared these to running a marathon. "In a marathon you have to keep the right pace all the time, calculate your energies and see clearly that the race must end with victory."
Earlier Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had stated in a report to President Vladimir Putin that Ukrainian forces have suffered the loss of 1500 armoured vehicles along with many troops during the course of their major offensive.
State news agency TASS said the report had been presented to mark 600 days since the start of the war.
There was no independent confirmation of the figures. Ukraine does not provide information on its losses, but it is known that Ukrainian armour has been damaged while attempting to penetrate minefields laid by the Russian forces.
Meanwhile Russia is aiming to break through Ukrainian defences in the Kupiansk-Lyman sector of the front line in northeastern Ukraine after a sharp increase in fighting there, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces says.
Video footage released by the ground forces showed General Oleksandr Syrskyi meeting troops at an undisclosed location in woodland, and quoted him as saying fighting in the northeastern Kupiansk-Lyman sector had "significantly escalated".
"The enemy is preparing, seriously preparing for offensive actions, bringing in staff," Syrskyi said in the footage posted on the Telegram messaging app.
"The main goal is to break through our troops' defences and recapture our territory."
Ukrainian forces recaptured the city of Kupiansk and nearby areas nearly a year ago, ending months of Russian occupation following its full-scale invasion in February 2022 but Russian forces have gone on the attack in the region again.
The Ukrainian military reported that fighting was raging along the eastern front, particularly around Kupiansk, and near Avdiivka and Mariinka in the Donetsk region.
Russia went on the offensive around Avdiivka last week and fighting there has been intense.
A strategically important town with a large coking plant, Avdiivka is located in the northern outskirts of the Donetsk region, much of which has been occupied by Russia.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said Ukrainian troops are holding their positions in the east.
Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the east and south at the start of June but in more than four months it has reported only minor gains.
with DPA
