Servicemen of the Ukrainian National Guard take positions in central Kyiv as they ready for an anticipated assault on the city by Russian ground forces [Gleb Garanich/Reuters]
BY Jesupemi Are
Russian troops have entered Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine — a day after the invasion of the country on the order of Vladimir Putin, president of Russia.
The troops are reportedly moving to seize the capital and topple the government.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said he was the target of the Russian invasion, vowing not to abandon his country.
According to the BBC, the Russian forces in Kyiv massed around the northern district of Obolon.
Videos online show armoured vehicles rolling down almost empty roads in the district. There are also videos appearing to show fighting between civilians and people in military uniform.
Kyiv has also reportedly been attacked from the air, with residents taking shelter in underground railway stations.
City officials are said to have told citizens in the Obolon district to stay at home to avoid “active military operations”.
Earlier in a Twitter post, Ukraine’s ministry of defence had appealed to the district’s residents to “inform us of troop movements, to make Molotov cocktails (firebombs) and neutralise the enemy”.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, had said Moscow was ready for talks “as soon as the armed forces of Ukraine respond to our call and lay down their arms”.
He said Russia did not intend to occupy Ukraine, saying their aims were clear –“demilitarisation and de-Nazification”.
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