Russian tanks enter Ukraine capital; forces in Kiev face street-to-street fighting [details]

Russian forces were sustaining heavy casualties across the country with Ukraine claiming to have killed 2,800 men - as Putin himself made an appeal to Ukrainian forces to turn on their 'drug-addicted neo-Nazi' leaders or else lay down their arms and go home, the report said.

A brave Ukrainian citizen has been pictured standing up to Russian troops by trying to block a Russian military convoy - in scenes reminiscent of Tiananmen Square's 'tank man' blocking Chinese forces in 1989, Daily Mail reported.

The footage, thought to have been filmed in the south of the country close to Crimea, emerged as Russia's military bared down on Kyiv today in an apparent bid to seize the capital and 'decapitate' the government in the hopes of bringing a swift victory for Vladimir Putin.

But Putin's men seemed set to face bloody street-to-street fighting as Ukrainian troops tasked with the city's defence began setting up defensive positions across highways, on bridges and on street corners with gunfire and explosions heard in the centre of the capital. Civilians were also being armed with rifles and Molotov cocktails, Daily Mail reported.

Russian forces were sustaining heavy casualties across the country with Ukraine claiming to have killed 2,800 men - as Putin himself made an appeal to Ukrainian forces to turn on their 'drug-addicted neo-Nazi' leaders or else lay down their arms and go home, the report said.

But there seemed little chance of that, as President Volodymyr Zelensky told his men 'you are all we have' as he gave a rousing address to defend the country, called on citizens to travel from elsewhere in Europe to join the battle, and hit out at the West for leaving him to face down the might of Russia 'alone', the report added.

Russian tanks enter Kiev

The sound of gunfire has echoed through Ukraine's capital Kiev as Russian tanks were filmed entering the city for the first time, BBC reported.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence called on those living in the northern outskirts, where the tanks were seen, to make fire bombs "to neutralise the enemy". Overnight, Kiev was hit by blasts, with at least one block of flats damaged and several civilians injured. Russia has denied carrying out strikes, BBC reported.

As the second day of fighting began, Moscow - which was attacking from the east, north and south - appeared to have Kyiv firmly in its sights. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said "the enemy" was trying to put Kyiv "on its knees", the report said.

On Friday afternoon, Russia's Defence Ministry announced that it had captured the Antonov airport, using 200 helicopters and a landing force in order to take the base to the north of Kiev from Ukraine. Western intelligence officials warned earlier that Russia was building an "overwhelming force" to take control of the city.

(With inputs from IANS)