Russian forces in occupied Ukrainian territories will try to recruit locals into their army, warned Volodymyr Zelensky.

“In the near future, the occupiers will try to recruit men into their army. Everywhere is the same as in Donetsk and Luhansk,” Mr Zelensky warned in his nightly address yesterday, specifically speaking to people in “temporarily” occupied areas of southern and eastern Ukraine.

“Please avoid it as much as you can. Try to leave the occupied territory,” he urged the population in the Russian-held territories which fell to Moscow’s illegal referendum earlier this month.

“If you cannot do this and find yourself in Russian military structures, at the first opportunity try to lay down your arms and come to Ukrainian positions. And most importantly, protect your life. And be sure to help our other people who are close to you. Our common task is to persevere. Stand against these weirdoes…,” he added.

Mr Zelensky said Russia had been avoiding “even the word ‘war’ for six months”. Moscow “punished its own people with criminal cases for it, and now it declares martial law in the occupied territory”, he said.

Good morning, welcome to our coverage of the Ukraine war on Thursday, 20 October.