War must end with Crimea's liberation: Zelensky

Kiev, Aug 10: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the ongoing war with Russia will not end until the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow, is liberated. "Crimea is Ukrainian, and we will never give it up," dpa news agency quoted the President as saying in his nightly video address on Tuesday.

"The Black Sea region cannot be safe as long as Crimea is occupied," he said.

"There will be no stable and lasting peace in many countries on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea as long as Russia is able to use our peninsula as its military base.

"This Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea, with its liberation," Zelensky added.

Earlier on Tuesday, a series of explosions hit the Saky military base near Novofedorivka located in the west of Crimea, killing one person.

While Russia has played down the explosions, a top Ukrainian adviser denied that Kiev was responsible. Crimea is officially part of Ukraine but was annexed by Russia in 2014 after a referendum which the international community sees as illegitimate. In his address, Zelensky however did not mention the blasts.