Heavy fighting in Kiev as US offers to evacuate PZelensky

Heavy gunfire has been reported on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev as clashes between Russian forces and Ukrainian troops enter the third day.

Local media reports said “heavy, frequent artillery fire” was heard near government buildings in Kiev in the early hours of Saturday as Russia proceeded with the third day of its military operations in the former Soviet state.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday a “special military operation” in Ukraine’s Donbas region to “defend people” subjected to "genocide" there against government forces, stressing that Moscow has “no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory.”

The intense clashes on Saturday followed an attack on a Ukrainian army base by Russian forces overnight, with the Ukrainian military stating that the assault was repelled.

Interfax Ukraine agency said Russian forces were trying to capture one of the capital city's electricity generating stations.

The Ukrainian air force command reported heavy fighting near an airbase at Vasylkiv in the southwest of the capital, which it said was under attack from Russian paratroopers.

The air force command added that one of its fighters had shot down an II-76 Russian transport plane carrying paratroopers near Vasylkiv, with reports falling short of saying how many were on board, but the II-76 is able to carry up to 125 paratroopers.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry also announced early Saturday that "two enemy targets were shot down” near the separatist region of Donbass in the east, identifying them as a Russian SU-25 helicopter and a military bomber.

Ukrainian authorities urged citizens to help defend the capital city, with the defense ministry asking Kiev residents to make petrol bombs to counter the advancing Russian forces.

"The fate of Ukraine is being decided right now," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday in a video address posted to his Telegram channel.

The US government has expressed readiness to help the Ukrainian president leave the capital to avoid being captured or killed by advancing Russian forces.

In a video Zelenskiy released of himself and his senior aides outside the presidential office in Kiev, he reassured Ukrainians that he and other top officials would stay in the capital.

“We are all here. Defending our independence and our country. And so it will continue,” Zelensky said, adding that his family also remained in Ukraine with no detail on their whereabouts.

The Ukrainian leader later appealed for a ceasefire and warned in a statement of an impending Russian assault in Kiev and other cities across the country.

Zelenskiy's spokesman, Sergii Nykyforov, said Ukraine and Russia would consult in coming hours on a time and place for talks.

"Ukraine was and remains ready to talk about a ceasefire and peace," Nykyforov said in a Facebook post. "We agreed to the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation."

The Kremlin said it offered to meet in the Belarusian capital Minsk after Ukraine had expressed a willingness to discuss declaring itself a neutral country while Ukraine had proposed Warsaw as the venue.

Russia and Ukraine are both sending delegations to Belarus to discuss Ukraine potentially adopting a nonaligned status with NATO.

Russia captures south Ukraine city amid cruise missile strikes

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Russian troops have captured the city of Melitopol in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, the first significant population center to be taken over since Moscow launched the military operations.

The ministry also said Russia had used air- and ship-based cruise missiles to carry out overnight strikes on military targets in Ukraine.

It said Russian troops had hit hundreds of military infrastructure targets and destroyed several aircraft and dozens of tanks and armored and artillery vehicles.

US bent on defending NATO allies

US President Joe Biden said in a statement that he and NATO allies discussed “our shared commitment to collective defense and Transatlantic security” when they met virtually Friday afternoon.

Biden claimed that NATO stands for freedom and democracy, stressing Washington’s resolve to defend the US-led military alliance’s territory.

"We were joined today by our close partners Sweden, Finland, and the European Union,” the statement read. “President Putin has failed in his goal of dividing the West. NATO is as united and resolute as it’s ever been, and NATO will maintain its Open Door to those European states who share our values and who one day may seek to join our Alliance.”

France to send 500 troops to Romania

Also on Friday, France announced plans for the deployment of 500 military personnel as part of NATO forces to Romania after Russia launched a military operation in neighboring Ukraine.

"NATO has decided to reinforce its presence to send a very clear sign of strategic solidarity, to position forces in Romania," France’s army chief of staff, Thierry Burkhard, told Radio France Internationale and broadcaster France24.

"We will send around 500 men with armored vehicles.”

The senior French military official said France would also maintain a military presence in Estonia, which borders Russia, beyond March.

MG