As Ukraine starts its fourth day fending off Russian troops and munitions, a Kyiv official declared Sunday that the capital city was still in the hands of Ukrainians.
“The situation in Kyiv is calm, the capital is completely controlled by the Ukrainian army and defense,” Mykola Povoroznyk, first deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, said on messaging service Telegram.
He warned that it was not news to savor; the city was under attack by Russian forces. “There were several clashes with sabotage groups at night,” Povoroznyk said.
Ukraine’s minister of defense, Oleksiy Reznikov, said early Sunday that forces fending off the Russian offensive in Kyiv have made history. “Three days changed our country and the world forever,” he said on Facebook.
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“I see a heroic army, a civil guard, fearless border guards, selfless rescuers, reliable police officers, tireless medical angels,” Reznikov said on Facebook.
He also praised thousands of Ukrainians who took up arms in defense of Kyiv and their country. “You are seen by all, the whole world!” he wrote.
he fighting continued in Kyiv and across Ukraine on Saturday into Sunday, with the Russian assault appearing to be stymied by the stiffer-than-expected resistance, according to a United States defense official.
The United States and European nations announced several measures to support Ukraine as they fight to defend their nation: The United States and its allies agreed Saturday to take aim at Russia through SWIFT, a service that facilitates global transactions among thousands of financial institutions.
And the U.S. and others, such as Germany, were speeding badly needed weaponry and supplies to the outgunned Ukrainians, who were refusing to surrender.