Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky visits a position of Ukrainian service members, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Soledar, Donetsk region. Photo: Reuters/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service

i24News – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said that Russia is planning a protracted campaign of attacks with Iranian drones to “exhaust” the country.

“We have information that Russia is planning a protracted attack,” He said in his nightly video address. “It is probably banking on exhaustion. Exhausting our people, our anti-aircraft defenses, our energy.”

Moscow has recently been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, sending citizens into darkness during the cold winter. In October alone, nearly 1.5 million households were left without electricity after a Russian strike Zelensky called “massive.”

Zelensky said during Monday’s address that Russia would launch the attacks using Iranian-made Shahed drones. Iran has denied supplying Russia with drones, with its Foreign Ministry spokesman saying Monday that Kyiv never produced evidence of such.

The president added that Ukraine had to “act and do everything so that the terrorists fail in their aim, as all their others have failed.” He continued: “Now is the time when everyone involved in the protection of the sky should be especially attentive.”

“Russian regime needs mobilizing emotions,” he stated. This comes after a Ukrainian strike that it said killed hundreds of Russian soldiers in the occupied Donbas region. However, Russia claimed that only 63 soldiers were killed – still a rare admission of losses for Moscow.

“Something that they want to demonstrate to their country in order to continue lying that everything is going ‘according to the plan,’” Zelensky continued. “And our task is to give Ukraine everyday successes, achievements, even small, yet victories over terrorists and terror.”