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The battle for Kyiv was underway — with explosions and gunfire reported in the Ukrainian capital — as Russian forces forged on with an aggressive overnight offensive Friday into Saturday.
Ukrainian officials warned Kyiv residents to shelter in place as street fighting continued in the city into the morning. The alert advised people to remain in shelters and stay away from windows and balconies to avoid being struck by debris or gunfire.
Hundreds of casualties have already been reported in the wake of the assault. Russian shells demolished apartment buildings in Kyiv and schools and bridges were also destroyed.
Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said at around 7 a.m. Saturday that Kyiv was still under the country’s control.
“We are stopping the horde as best as we can, the situation in Kyiv is under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and our citizens,” he said, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Artillery and gunshots echoed through the city’s streets Friday night and Saturday morning as Russian troops stormed from the south, east and north.
In the face of the violence, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declined an offer from the US to be evacuated from Kyiv, instead choosing to remain behind with his countrymen and fight.
“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelensky said, The Associated Press reported, citing a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation.
Late Friday, Zelensky addressed his countrymen in a video, telling them to brace for an overnight assault and urging unity and strength.
“The fate of Ukraine is being decided right now,” Zelensky said. “This night will be very difficult, and the enemy will use all available forces to break the resistance of Ukrainians.”
“We can’t lose the capital,” he added, emphatically.
Zelensky posted another video from Kyiv on Saturday morning, vowing to defend his country.
“There’s a lot of fake information online that I call on our army to lay down arms, and that there’s evacuation,” he said. “I’m here. We won’t lay down our arms. We will defend our state.”
The Ukrainian military put up a fierce defense against the invading forces overnight, slowing down Russia’s procession towards Kyiv, according to US defense officials.
Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with the Post’s live coverage.
However, it still remains to be seen how much of the country is under Ukrainian or Russian control. The Russian military claimed control of the southern Ukraine city of Melitopol.
The Ukrainian military said it had repelled a Russian attack on one of Kiev’s main streets, Victory Avenue.
Dozens of blasts and heavy machine-gun fire were heard in the western area of Shuliavka, including “extremely hard combat” around the Kyiv Zoo, according to the Kyiv Independent. Video showed cars on fire and explosions in Shuliavka.
Artillery fire was also reported at the Beresteiska metro station, where the Ukraine’s 101st brigade destroyed a column of Russian forces, including two trucks loaded with tanks and another tank, the local outlet reported.
Heavy fighting was also reported near an electric power station in the Troieshchyna neighborhood, in the northeastern part of the city. It was the second time in 24 hours that Russians have attempted to shut off power from the station, the report said.
The Ukrainian military said it shot down two Russian Il-76 heavy transport planes – which can carry over 150 paratroopers.
One was shot down near Vasylkiv, roughly 25 miles south of the Ukrainian capital where intense fighting took place. The second plane was shot down hours later near Bila Tserkva, about 50 miles south of Ukraine, according to military officials. Russia has not commented on either incident.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Saturday morning that since the invasion began, 3,500 Russians have been killed and 200 others taken prisoner.
The total number of deaths was unclear after the second day of Russia’s invasion. Ukraine reported 137 deaths after the first day of fighting and claimed to have killed hundreds of Russians. Russia has not acknowledged any casualties so far.
The United Nations reported 25 civilian deaths so far as a result of shelling and airstrikes and 100,000 people are believed to have left their homes in Ukraine. The number of those fleeing could rise to as many as 4 million if fighting escalates further, according to the UN.
With Post wires
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