Zelensky: Kyiv remains in the hands of the Ukrainian people. Russian and Ukrainian forces are still battling for control of Kyiv, as Kyiv residents prepare for another night of attack. On Saturday, Russian troops surrounded two other cities on the third day of their invasion of Ukraine. There were reports that the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk was shelled.
Zelensky: Kyiv remains in the hands of the Ukrainian people
Donetsk has been controlled by Russia-backed separatists since 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “the anti-war coalition is working” and that “Kyiv remains in the hands of the Ukrainian people”.
Early Sunday morning, the Ukrainian president’s office said there were explosions in Kharkiv and that Russian troops had blown up a gas pipeline.
The Ukrainian president’s office said the explosion could cause an “environmental disaster,” urging citizens to cover their windows with damp cloths or gauze and drink plenty of water.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova said Russian troops have not yet occupied Kharkiv. Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second largest city, about 40 kilometers from the Russian border. The Associated Press quoted her as saying a fierce battle was underway.
Western allies are responding. German Chancellor Scholz said Saturday that Germany will provide Ukraine “as soon as possible” with 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. France will provide defensive weapons and fuel, the French presidential office said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that “the anti-war coalition is working.” The
Ukrainian border was crowded with cars as the swarms of refugees continued to leave Ukraine. The UN refugee agency said Saturday that more than 150,000 Ukrainians were on the run, half of them heading to Poland. If the situation deteriorates further, as many as 4 million people could flee their homes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Kyiv remains in the hands of the Ukrainian people. Meanwhile, government officials urged citizens to help defend their homes against a Russian invasion.
On Saturday, there were reports of a small group of Russian soldiers in Kyiv, although British and American officials said large Russian forces remained 30 kilometers away from central Kyiv.
“We withstood the blow and successfully repelled the enemy’s attack,” Zelensky said in a video recorded on the streets of the city of Kyiv. He also said he was willing to negotiate with Russia.
“We continue to believe, based on our observations, that Ukrainian resistance is far beyond the Russians’ expectations, especially in northern Ukraine,” a U.S. Defense Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity Saturday.
