Street Fighting Begins in Kyiv, President Zelensky Asks Citizens to Stand Firm
Amid reports of Russia-backed separatists making significant gains in the east region of Donbas and the Russian military reportedly taking full control of Melitopol city, reports have emerged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fled the country. Russian State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin claimed in his Telegram channel on Saturday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had left Kyiv for Lvov (both cities are in Ukraine). Volodin wrote that Zelensky and his key aides had fled to the city of Lvov yesterday.
To rebut the claim, Zelensky released a self-shot video with his key aides by his side from central Kyiv on Friday. In this self-shot video taken outside the presidency building, Zelensky clarified he didn’t flee the country, “We’re all here. Our military is here. Citizens in society are here. We’re all here defending our independence, our country and it will stay this way”.
President, his Chief of Staff, the Prime Minister, head of the Servant of the People are all in Kyiv.
We will win! 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/1ae8hZnthC
— Oleksiy Sorokin (@mrsorokaa) February 25, 2022
Ukrainian forces reported to have found some success in resisting the assaults from Russian troops but the street fighting persisted near the capital.. There were reports of skirmishes on the edge of the city suggesting that Russian units were attempting to make way for the main forces.
Russia attacks and kills civilians in Ukraine. Our army continues to defend our territory and every civilian. 🇺🇦 resists and strives for peace. The world must stop Russian war criminals.#StandWithUkraine!
📍Kyiv, Residential Area, building near Maternity Hospital and Schools. pic.twitter.com/JGNUQUGulX
— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) February 26, 2022
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his televised address from Moscow branded Zelensky’s government “terrorists” and a “gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis”, while urging the Ukrainian military to topple the Zelensky government and overthrow the country’s leaders. The Russian President also urged the Ukrainian Army to ‘take control into their own hands. He said he is ready to send a delegation to Belarus capital, Minsk to hold talks with Ukraine.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian government has appealed to citizens to help defend Kyiv as the Russian forces were closing in on the capital city. Zelensky Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukrainians to stand firm saying “the fate of Ukraine is being decided right now.” Zelensky spoke to the nation through his smartphone and asked elders, women and kids to seek shelter. He refused the US government's offer early Saturday to evacuate Kyiv, insisting he would stay as “fight is here.” According to a senior US intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation, Zelensky said he needed anti-tank ammunition but “not a ride.”