Ukraine invites foreigners to defend country against Russia; 'Will defeat Putin together'

In an unprecedented move, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Sunday urged foreign nationals to help defend his country against the onslaught of the Russian forces. It is worth noting that Ukraine has already declared martial law and distributed around 18,000 assault rifles with ammunition to civilians in Kyiv amid a growing threat of the Russian Army seeking to capture the capital city. Taking to Twitter, Kuleba asked foreign nationals to contact diplomatic missions of Ukraine in their respective countries in case they want to join the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine. 

Russia-Ukraine war rages

The tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated on Monday after Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR). Located in eastern Ukraine, these regions have been under the control of Russia-backed separatists since 2014. The situation took a turn for the worse after the Russian President formally declared a military operation in Ukraine's Donbass region targeted at demilitarization and denazification of the country. While the US and other European countries have imposed a range of sanctions on Russia, the latter has refused to relent. 

Until now, the Ukraine military claimed that it has destroyed 14 Russian planes, 102 tanks and killed over 3,500 ‘Russian occupiers'. On the other hand, Russian Armed Forces revealed that it had hit 975 objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine and destroyed 223 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 28 aircraft, 39 multiple rocket launchers, 86 field artillery mounts and mortars, 143 units of special military vehicles. Divulging that 471 Ukrainian servicemen have been detained, it vowed to take all measures to save the lives of civilians. 

Addressing the nation on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to defend the country under the gravest circumstances. He added, "We withstood and successfully repel enemy attacks. The fighting continues. In many cities and districts of our state. But we know what we are defending. The country, the land, the future of children. Kyiv and key cities around the capital are controlled by our army. The invaders wanted to block the center of our state and put their puppets here, as in Donetsk. We broke their plan".