ZELENSKY: "We do not want Ukraine to be covered with Russian corpses."

Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky addressed his nation in a speech as Ukraine continues to be shelled by Russian troops. 

"We do not want Ukraine to be covered with corpses of 19 or 20-year-old Russian soldiers. Young Russians: go home, tell your superiors that you don't want to die but to live," the head of state urged.

Zelensky also called on the entire Russian Army to withdraw from Ukraine. "Here, they will find no calm, no food, no tranquility. They will only see fierce resistance of Ukrainians."

The president claims that around 9,000 Russian soldiers have lost their lives in the war in only one week. "Our Army is doing everything possible to defeat the enemy once and for all. Nearly 9,000 Russians have been killed in one week. We have destroyed the enemy's plans, we will drive them out, and they will feel shame."

The offensive by Russian forces is intensifying with every passing day in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops on Wednesday seized Kherson, a city that is strategically positioned to occupy the Black Sea area south of the country, according to BBC.

The cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Mariupol remain under Ukrainian control, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, despite intense shelling in recent days.

Estimates show that thousands of Ukrainian service members have been killed or wounded, and at least 2,000 civilians have died. However, these numbers have not been independently verified, the news outlet continues.