Zelensky fears Moscow to 'storm' Kyiv overnight, says 'Stop enemy, we can't lose capital'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday feared that Moscow could "storm" the capital city Kyiv overnight as Russian troops advanced closer to Kyiv intensifying its assault on the ex-Soviet nation. Calling out public to defend the capital city, Zelensky said "we cannot lose the capital," in a late-night address to the citizens from his bunker. He was moved from the state presidential residence as Russian forces were reportedly moving in towards the Obolon district, less than 10 km away from Central Kyiv.

"This night will be hard, very hard, but the morning will come. We cannot lose the capital," Zelensky said fearing violent conflict in Kyiv after Russian forces were reportedly marching closer to the central part of the city, as quoted by DW.

"Tonight they are setting out to storm Kyiv. The enemy will use all its forces to break out resistance...stop the enemy wherever possible," he added.

The developments come as the Ukrainian army is bracing to push back Russian troops. Pictures of deserted streets in Kyiv surfaced as forces of the ex-Soviet country were seen to be taking a position to repeal the Russian attack. For a stronger response to the onslaught by Russia and to protect Ukrainians, Zelensky has ordered a curfew in Kyiv urging civilians to stay indoors or in ad-hoc bomb shelters.

Zelensky calls on Putin for talks

In a bid to quell further exacerbation of the devastation caused by Russian air-raids and on-ground attacks, President Zelensky also called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for discussions. Putin, however, outrightly rejected in-person talks unless Ukraine "laid down arms," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov informed. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation said it is likely to send a delegation to Kyiv, as per Sputnik. According to a statement by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, as quoted by Sputnik, the Russian delegates will meet Ukraine's representatives in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

Russia-Ukraine war

The standoff between Moscow and Kyiv waded into war after Russian President Putin ordered a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. Precision airstrikes on important cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and more destroyed residential and commercial infrastructure further killing at least 137 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, President Zelensky said. The Russian navy also attacked the shores of Mariupol and Odessa, while troops took over Chernobyl, the nuclear plant which was the hub of history's worst nuclear disaster that took place in 1986.

The fear of an imminent invasion of Kyiv loomed for months as US intelligence warned of nearly 1,90,000 Russian troops' massing at the Ukraine-Russia border. The tensions fuelled after Putin, on February 21, signed a decree proposed by the State Duma to identify the independence of two breakaway Ukrainian regions. The decision and subsequent order to cripple Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity were met with criticism and flak by Western powers, who have imposed hefty sanctions on Russia prohibiting it from engaging in diplomatic, financial, and bilateral trade with several countries like the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Japan and more.

(Image: AP)