Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to take back all of Ukraine's territory from Russia in a speech on a day dedicated to veterans and fallen heroes.

He marked Defenders Day on Friday at a rally in Kyiv. He observed a moment of silence for those who died defending Ukraine. He told those present, "We liberated the north of our country from the Russian invaders. We are liberating the entire east."

He said, "We will return the Ukrainian flag to all our cities and communities in the south of the country. We will return our Crimea," and, "We will restore the territorial integrity of our state."

The previous day, Ukraine's government said its armed forces have liberated 627 settlements from Russian occupation in the eastern and southern regions. It said 502 settlements have been liberated in the eastern region of Kharkiv, 43 in the eastern region of Donetsk, seven in the Luhansk region, also in the east, and 75 in the southern region of Kherson.

The US defense department announced on Friday that Washington will provide additional military assistance worth 725 million dollars for Ukraine.

The package includes additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as well as artillery rounds and more than 200 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles.

The Pentagon issued a statement saying, "The United States has delivered unprecedented security assistance to Ukraine and will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure Ukraine has the support it needs."