Zelensky briefing for foreign media
Ukraine is ready for any diplomatic negotiations with the aggressor country, both bilateral and involving partners, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a news conference with foreign journalists.
He stressed that Russia, if it has an issue with Ukraine, should meet and talk, not amass troops.
"I want to meet and I am not afraid of any format. A bilateral format... I am ready for any format," he said. He also noted that he supports a format involving US President Joe Biden.
At the same time, he called on the West to slap Russia with sanctions now, before it attacks Ukraine, not afterwards.
He also called for clarity regarding Ukraine's NATO membership prospect.
Zelenskyy on Russian sabotage groups
Russia uses its sabotage and reconnaissance groups not only on the front lines in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but also in other regions, Zelenskyy said.
"In many areas. Now I do not want any unnecessary panic. We are dealing with such issues internally by our own forces. Partners help us," the president said.
"We are always ready for any scenario. But we, Ukraine, always strive for one thing - a peaceful settlement through diplomacy," he said.
The president noted that fuelling anxiety hurts Ukraine's economy just as much as direct military action does. Therefore, according to him, today Ukraine first of all needs the personal presence of allies and partners in our state.
"We do not need to be warned – we need help. How exactly? The easiest way is to be with us, to be in Ukraine. I thank all of you, our friends and partners, who stand with us today. Whose diplomatic missions in Ukraine continue to work as they always have. This presence is multivalent and more eloquent than a thousand words," Zelensky said.
US aid
Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov welcomed the fourth US plane with military aid for Ukraine.
"This time the 4th bird delivered 81 tons of ammunition of various calibers to Ukraine. Next week we are waiting next USplanes with military-technical assistance to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities!" he tweeted.
Hungary
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry categorically refutes Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó's claim that there is a policy of violating the rights of national minorities in Ukraine.
Earlier, Szijjártó said in an interview with Magyar Nemzet that if Ukrainians do not change their policy towards the Hungarian minority, this will severely limit the Hungarian government's ability to provide any support to Kyiv in the conflict with Russia.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said these were far-fetched and politicised judgements.
"There is currently no justified reason to accuse Ukraine of violating the rights of national minorities, much less to block our state's cooperation with NATO, especially against the background of Russia's aggressive actions. Without security in Ukraine there will be no security in Hungary or in Europe as a whole. Only together we can strengthen security in the Central European region," Nikolenko said.
Crime
Servant of the People MP Serhiy Kuzminykh was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of 558,000 hryvnyas for facilitating contracts between private companies and a hospital in Zhytomyr Region. Kuzminykh used to be a well-known army support volunteer in Zhytomyr.
Dnipro's Kirovskyy district court has placed National Guard member Artemiy Ryabchuk into custody after he killed five and wounded five more at the Pivdenmash factory, the State Bureau of Investigation has said.
Ukraine's IBF boxing champion Volodymyr Virchys was found hanged in Kyiv's Dniprovskyy district by a pedestrian. Police are investigating his death as a suicide case.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has exposed another Russian agent in Kyiv. According to the investigation, he was recruited by the so-called DPR MGB controlled by the Russian special services. On the assignment of his handlers, the agent collected information on Ukrainian law enforcers, including SBU agents. Among other things, they were interested in counter-intelligence measures against the Russian special services.