Volodymyr Zelensky, during a ceremony commemorating the country's declaration of independence more than three decades ago, ridiculed his foe, Vladimir Putin.

Knewz.com has learned that the leader of the embattled state referred to the Russian autocrat as “old” and “sick.”

He further stated that Ukraine would continue with forays like that in Kursk, irrespective of Russia’s capacity for nuclear warfare.

“A sick old man from the Red Square, who constantly threatens everyone with the red button, will not dictate any of his red lines to us,” Zelensky told his charges.

“Only Ukraine will determine how to live, what path to take and what choice to make. Because this is how independence works.”

“Our enemy will also know what the Ukrainian way of retaliation is. Worthy, symmetrical, long-ranged.”

This statement is a nod to the dexterity of the Ukrainian drone forces. The country has thus far caused damage deep inside Russia targeting its capital Moscow, power stations, fuel refineries, and military installations with regular success.

“They will know that sooner or later a Ukrainian response will reach any point in the Russian Federation that is a source of danger to the life of our state and our people.”

“You have preserved and are preserving our independence,” Zelensky said, praising his troops.

This speech comes as the invasion of Kursk continues to assimilate ground. 

A recent report indicated that Zelensky’s forces in Kursk have since acquired two more settlements and advanced close to two miles.

Putin, who was noted to have been visibly rattled by the situation, has since evacuated 130,000 Russians in the region.

Amidst complaints of the Ukrainian soldiers using NATO hardware in Kursk, he also demanded that his troops expel Zelensky’s forces.

This directive, however, has gone largely unanswered, and the latest reports from the front suggest the opposite.

According to a previous report by Knewz.com, the advancing troops cornered a group of Putin's soldiers in a women's prison where they (the Russian Soldiers) solicited the help of the wardens and put up a fierce fight.  

According to the German paper, Bild, the Ukrainians peppered the fortified facility with artillery vehicles and drones while the incumbent Russians fired from guard towers.

Parallel reports depicted various crack operations where Ukrainians won back Russian-held territory in the Kharkiv region.

“On August 15, as a result of counterattack actions, the brigade took control of the battalion defense area of ​​the occupiers, enemy platoon, and company strongholds and advanced deep into the front by almost  [0.7 square miles],” a Telegram report by the country’s Third Separate Assault Brigade confirmed.

“The ratio of forces on the battlefield: 2.5 to 1 in favor of the enemy. Plus enemy support forces.”

“In four days, the enemy lost three hundred men in manpower, and a significant amount of equipment and weapons were destroyed or damaged.”

While these victories were being applauded, the strategic Ukrainian center of Povkrosk in the Donetsk region was evacuated after the defending soldiers withdrew to avoid being encircled.

But if Ukraine’s account of the situation on the ground is any to go by, the Russian advance here is losing momentum.

“On the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy is beginning to experience resource shortages,”  Ukraine’s Center for Defence Strategies observed.  

“The number of advance directions has decreased from seven to three in the space of two weeks.”

Russia is yet to comment on these claims.