Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved the release of convicts with combat experience to help fight the Russian invaders.
Gatekeepers News reports that Zelenskyy on Monday said the decision was “not easy from the moral point of view”, but it was justified from his war-torn country’s defence standpoint.
The Ukrainian leader also called on Russian soldiers to lay down their weapons, saying over 4,500 enemy troops had already been killed by Ukraine.
“Abandon your equipment. Get out of here. Don’t believe your commanders. Don’t believe your propagandists. Just save your lives,” Zelenskyy said.
The 44-year-old leader also urged the European Union to grant his country “immediate” membership “via a new special procedure”.
“Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing. I’m sure it’s fair. I’m sure it’s possible,” he said.
He further thanked the West for its support, saying: “Support of our anti-war coalition is unconditional and unprecedented.”
“Each of us is a warrior,” Zelenskyy said. “And I am sure that each of us will win.”
“Ukrainians have shown the world who we are. And Russia has shown what it has become,” Zelenskyy added.
Michelle Bachelet, the UN human rights chief, on Monday said no fewer than 102 civilians, including seven children, had been killed but noted that the real numbers might be far higher.
