Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirms Russia's battle for Donbas has begun

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in a video address that Russian forces have started the battle for Donbas, adding that Kyiv will defend itself.

"Russian forces have started the battle for Donbas for which they've been preparing for a long time and a considerable amount of the Russian forces are concentrated and focused on that offensive," Zelenskyy said, according to CNN.

"No matter how many Russian servicemen they're bringing into that area, we will keep on fighting and defending and we will be doing this daily. We will not give up anything that is Ukrainian but we don't need anything that is not ours," Zelenskyy added.

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According to Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Russian forces had launched an effort to break through Ukrainian front lines in three regions. "Today, almost along the entire front line of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv regions, the occupiers tried to break through our defenses," he said in remarks on television, CNN reported.

"Fortunately, our military is holding on, and only in two cities, they (the Russians) have passed: Kreminna and another small town. But the fighting continues, we are not surrendering our territories and the attempt to start an active phase has begun this morning," he said.

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Meanwhile, the US also sent four planes loaded with security assistance to Ukraine over the weekend and made one more delivery on Monday.

On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk requested help to defend them from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.