KYIV, Aug 29 (FT) - Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy played his cards close to his chest in his nightly video address on Monday, the day that Ukraine began a counter-attack in the southern region of Kherson.

Zelenskyy said people wanted to know information about Ukraine’s plans in the wake of its offensive to retake the Kherson region, but that no “concrete plans” would be revealed by any responsible people during a time of war.

“Anyone want to know what our plans are? You won’t hear specifics from any truly responsible person . . . Because this is war. And this is what it is during the war,” he said.

Russia captured and occupied the Kherson region in the early days of the full-scale war that began over six months ago on February 24.

Zelenskyy said he wanted the Russian forces to know they would be pushed back to Ukraine’s borders.

“If they want to survive, the time has come for Russians troops to flee. Go home,” he said in Ukrainian in an address posted to his Telegram channel.

Ukraine’s president said if any Russians were afraid to return home to Russia, they could turn themselves in and Ukraine would uphold the pledges of the Geneva Convention.

Zelenskyy, who has given video addresses since the war began, pledged Ukraine would return all of its territory.

“If they do not listen to me, they will deal with our defenders, who will not stop until they liberate everything that belongs to Ukraine.”