Kiev After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the capital Kiev is increasingly under pressure. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported Russian “saboteurs” in the northern Obolon district on Friday. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also reported on “terrible Russian rocket attacks” on the city of millions.
According to media reports, shots have already been fired near the government districts heard in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The Russian military is also blockading Kiev in the west, reports the Tass news agency, citing the Moscow Defense Ministry.
The fighting is now spreading across the country. There was intense fighting in the city of Sumy in the north-east of the country. Air alert was also raised in Lviv in western Ukraine.
According to official figures, more than 130 soldiers have been killed on the Ukrainian side since the start of the large-scale invasion. 316 soldiers were injured.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
According to Russia, it has disabled a total of 118 Ukrainian military facilities, including 11 military airports. This was announced by Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov on Friday in Moscow. Such statements cannot be verified independently. According to Konashenkov, five Ukrainian fighter jets, a helicopter and five drones were also shot down.
According to Ukrainian data, the Russian troops, for their part, suffered heavy losses. The Ministry of Defense in Kiev spoke of 30 destroyed Russian tanks, 130 armored vehicles, 7 airplanes and 6 helicopters. About 800 Russian soldiers were killed. The information could not be independently verified. The Russian side did not comment on this.
The metro stations in the capital Kiev, which has a population of around 2.8 million, continue to serve as shelters for residents.
According to estimates by the United Nations, around 100,000 people are now fleeing Ukraine. However, the UN is preparing for up to four million if the situation continues to deteriorate.
Thousands of Ukrainians have already flowed into neighboring countries such as Poland, Moldova, Slovakia and Russia, according to the refugee agency UNHCR. Ukraine has approximately 42 million inhabitants.
Romania had already counted almost 11,000 refugees from the neighboring country on the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and many more people are on the way.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked anger and dismay in Germany and many other countries. Around the world, demonstrators are taking to the streets in solidarity with the Eastern European country.
More: Read the current developments in the Ukraine war in the live blog here.