Zelensky: Russian troops have entered Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his government has information indicating that saboteurs and Russian forces have entered the capital. Ukraine's foreign minister reported "terrible missile attacks" on Kyiv.
Fierce clashes continue northwest of Kyiv
According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, heavy fighting is ongoing between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the Kiev region. In Ivankiv, about 80 kilometers northwest of the capital, a large number of Russian paratroopers have landed and are advancing towards the capital in armored vehicles.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces also announced that fighting is also ongoing at the strategically important Hostomel airport northwest of Kyiv. Ukrainian forces are also holding their positions there. Russia continues to carry out airstrikes in various Ukrainian cities.
● Zelensky: Sanctions are not enough
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized Western sanctions against Moscow, calling them insufficient. He said the international community is merely watching what is happening in Ukraine. The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia, but has not cut off the country from the SWIFT system. This measure could effectively cut off Russian financial institutions from the global financial system.
Plane crashes over Kiev
CNN, citing sources in the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, reported that a Ukrainian plane was shot down over Kiev. Other official Ukrainian sources from the Interior Ministry spoke of a Russian plane.
● “Kiev will fall soon”
The Ukrainian president has said his government has information that suggests Russian sabotage groups and forces have entered the capital. He himself is currently in a bunker in the Kiev government district. Zelensky describes himself as Moscow's number one target and his family as number two. His family is still in hiding in Ukraine.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kulba reported “terrible missile strikes” on Kiev, and a CNN correspondent said Russian special forces had landed around the city. The news agency reported last night that Russian forces were attacking Kiev from two sides to surround the capital.
● 137 dead since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a large number of military personnel and civilians have been killed and injured in the country since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine (Thursday, March 25). "We have lost 137 of our heroes and citizens. 316 people were injured. He has ordered a general mobilization," Zelensky said in a video address.
● 800 Russian soldiers killed
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that 800 Russian soldiers were killed. This information has not yet been confirmed by other sources. The city of Sumy, east of Kiev, has fallen into the hands of Russian forces. They have set up checkpoints on the way to the capital.
● 100,000 people fleeing
The UN refugee agency said about 100,000 Ukrainians have fled their homes since Thursday, with many apparently seeking refuge in rural areas. Hundreds have also fled to neighboring countries. Macron: Phone call with Putin fruitless
French President Emmanuel Macron described the call with Vladimir Putin as “candid, direct and brief” after a phone conversation. “In this conversation, which took place at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he asked Putin to end the fighting in Ukraine as quickly as possible,” he said Friday morning after an EU crisis summit in Brussels. “But the call was fruitless.”
Source: DW
