Kyiv: As Russian troops moved closer towards Kyiv on Saturday, fighting has broken out on the streets of the capital as city officials urged residents to take shelter or stay indoors.
It was immediately not clear how far the Russian soldiers had advanced, as skirmishes were reported from the edge of the city suggesting that small Russian units were probing Ukrainian defences to clear a path for the main forces, CNN reported.
Reports said that a large residential block in the west of Kyiv was struck by a missile or rocket fired early Saturday, as the Russian troops moved to the streets of the capital and Ukraine’s military battled to hold back advancing troops in multiple locations.
The street clashes followed fighting that pummelled bridges, schools and apartment buildings, and resulted in hundreds of casualties. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for a cease-fire and told Ukrainians that multiple cities across the country were under attack, saying that the country’s future hung in the balance, while also putting up a defiant tone, saying his country will never surrender.Â
