Ukrainian President has issued a defiant challenge to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, after Russian troops, in retreat, struck Ukrainian power plants.

Writing on Facebook, Volodymyr Zelensky asked: “Do you still think you can intimidate, break us? Did you really not understand anything? Didn’t [you] understand who we are? What we stand for? What we are talking about?

Read my lips: Without gas or without you? Without you.

Without light or without you? Without you.
Without water or without you? Without you.
Without food or without you? Without you.

Cold, hunger, darkness and thirst – for us are not as scary and deadly as your “friendship and brotherhood”.

But history will put everything in its place. And we will [exist] with gas, lights, water and food ... and WITHOUT you!”, - said the President of Ukraine.

He has described Ukraine’s offensive in the north-east as a potential breakthrough in the six-month-old war, and said the winter could see further territorial gains if Kyiv received more powerful weapons from the West.