Vladimir Putin will try to invade another country and kill countless more civilians, Volodymyr Zelensky has chillingly warned. The Ukrainian President said the Russian leader could resort to further escalation if he fails to achieve his goals in the war against Ukraine.

In an interview with BFMTV, Zelensky said if Moscow fails to secure victory in Ukraine, the Russian leader “will become very dangerous, and not only for us”. “He will try to occupy another place, other people, and kill, kill people again,” Zelenskyy added. He also warned that Putin may choose to “involve more countries in the war” in the near future. Commenting on the possibility of a ceasefire, Zelensky said that while it remains achievable, securing one is highly challenging.

“We must bring this war to an end. However, one party, Russia, has shown no genuine desire to do so. Their commitment exists only in words,” Zelenskyy said.

He also revealed that Russia has lost around 150,000 troops since the beginning of the year while advancing only about 50km on the battlefield.

The Russians “have lost the initiative on the battlefield, mind you, they haven’t lost the war, but they have lost the initiative”, said Zelensky.

As Ukraine ramps up pressure on Russia, Moscow continues to struggle to secure significant battlefield advances in the war. Kyiv has been unleashing drones deep into Putin’s country, hitting key oil facilities which appear to have triggered a fuel crisis.

This comes after a poll suggested the majority of Russians believe their local economic conditions have worsened.

Since the war with Ukraine broke out in 2022, Moscow has been haemorrhaging money to defence at the expense of its citizens, who increasingly find themselves unable to afford basic goods.