Ukraine has stressed that its forces are advancing in the country's east and south.

The Ukrainian government said on Thursday that its forces had liberated 627 settlements from Russian occupation in eastern and southern areas. That includes parts of Kherson, a southern region that Russia claims to have annexed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message on Saturday that his country is doing everything it can to make Russians feel they have no prospects in the east and the south. He added that no matter who "the occupiers" send to fight, it will only end in their defeat.

Zelenskyy also repeated his call on Russian soldiers to surrender. He said, "All who surrender themselves to Ukrainian captivity will save their lives. Anyone who continues to fight in the Russian army or among mercenaries does not have such an opportunity."

On the same day, a senior member of a pro-Russian armed group controlling Kherson wrote on social media that heavy fighting with the Ukrainians is expected there. The official effectively urged people to leave the region and evacuate to Russia.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's state-run electricity company Ukrenergo called on the residents of the entire Kyiv region to conserve energy on Saturday evening through the night, citing a Russian attack that hit a power facility.

A 26-year-old resident in the capital Kyiv said conserving energy is necessary. She said she does not turn on a light when she uses the bathroom at home, adding that it is for her country.