Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with The Guardian, Kyiv, November 2025

Sunday’s Coverage: Power Cuts of 8-16 Hours/Day After Russian Attacks

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said of Russia’s 16-month attempt to overrun Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region in the east of the country: “That’s the whole story. There is no success there.”

The Russians have finally entered the devastated city, which had a pre-invasion population of around 60,000, and fighting continues.

But in an interview with The Guardian, Zelensky noted the “many casualties” suffered by Moscow, citing 25,000 troops killed and wounded in October alone. He said Russia had thrown 170,000 men into the operation.

Zelensky carefully navigated political aspects in the interview. He emphasized shared values with the US, in contrast with “imperialist” Russia:

Donald Trump was elected by his people. We have to respect the choice made by the American people, just as I am elected by my people. The US is our strategic partner, for many years, perhaps even decades and centuries.

He described relations with Trump as “normal”, “businesslike”, and “constructive”.

Zelensky linked Russia’s increase in hostile operations across Europe, including sabotage and incursions with drones and fighter jets into airspace, to Moscow’s failure to advance significantly on the frontline.

Putin is in a dead-end situation in terms of real success. It’s more like a stalemate for him. That’s why these failures could lead him to look for other territories. It’s very difficult for us but we are at home and defending ourselves.

Russia’s mass missile and drone strikes, against energy infrastructure and other civilian sites, were highlighted when — only a few seconds after the interview began — the lights went out inside the Mariinskyi Palace.

Zelensky said, as a backup generator restored power, “These are our living conditions. It’s normal. We have fluctuations with electricity in Kyiv, like everywhere else.”

He said of Putin’s “terrorist attacks”: “He can’t create tension within our society in any other way.”

I just love Ukraine. I can’t really find any reasons for it, you know. I think that people are held together by something greater than just logic. I love our people very much. It’s hard right now in Ukraine because of the war. But I want to be here.