Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that his country will soon launch a major counteroffensive to recapture its territory from Russia.

In a speech delivered on the occasion of the Day of the Border Guard of Ukraine on Sunday, Zelenskyy said the main battles are coming soon. He said, "We must liberate our land and our people from Russian captivity."

Zelenskyy went on to say, "We must restore the full line of our state border, both on land and at sea."

The president also praised the troops for defending the eastern stronghold of Bakhmut and elsewhere.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov suggested on Friday that the country is prepared for a counteroffensive, saying, "We will do it as soon as there is God's will."

Zelenskyy had indicated in an interview with Nordic media that Ukraine would go on a counteroffensive even without F16 fighter jets, which it is strongly seeking from other countries.

But the president also reportedly suggested that recovering Ukraine's territory will not be easy.