New York, September 23 (QNA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy affirmed Wednesday that his country's primary course of action is self-defense and the protection of its territory.
He expressed Kyiv's readiness to move toward diplomacy and a ceasefire, provided that Russia reciprocates and provides credible security guarantees.
Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly during its 81st session in New York, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces aren't targeting Russian oil per se. Rather, he said, they are seeking to target and destroy Russia's economic and military capabilities that contribute to dragging out the war.
Zelenskyy said the Russian military lost between 248,000 and 249,000 personnel during the first eight months of 2026, according to estimates from Kyiv.
From January through August, he said, Russia also launched more than 2,000 one-way attack drones during a single week in September, most of which were equipped with jet engines, along with approximately 1,700 aerial bombs and 19 missiles targeting various areas across Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader warned of perils arising from the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence in military operations, saying the technology could soon reach a stage at which it can decisively determine the outcome of battles on the ground without full human intervention, potentially propelling the world into what he described as a devastating arms race.
Zelenskyy stated that the ongoing Russian military operations and the enlarging scope of its control over more Ukrainian cities and territories stand at variance with diplomatic efforts intended to stop the war and reach a settlement. (QNA)