Zelensky vows to retake south, NATO warns of long war

This handout picture taken and released by the press service of the Ukrainian Presidency on 18 June, 2022 shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) awarding a serviceman during his visit to the position of Ukrainian National Guard in the Odesa region. © Press service of the Ukrainian presidency, AFP

What you need to know:

  • Making a rare trip outside Kyiv, where he is based for security reasons, Zelensky travelled to the hold-out Black Sea city of Mykolaiv and visited troops nearby and in the neighbouring Odessa region for the first time since the Russian invasion
  • While Zelensky remained defiant, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that "we must be prepared for this to last for years."