Chandigarh, February 26
As the war in Ukraine rages with Russian bombers targeting several cities, President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an attempt to trash rumours that he had fled, released a self-shot video from central Kyiv on Friday vowing alongside key aides to stay and defend the capital against the Russian invasion.
The video has gone viral on the social media. “We’re all here. Our military is here. Citizens in society are here. We’re all here defending our independence, our country, and it will stay this way,” Zelensky said, standing outside the presidency building.
Wearing olive green military-style clothing and standing with his prime minister, chief of staff and other senior aides, Zelensky appeared to be trashing rumours that the top leadership had fled.
Russian troops clashed briefly with Ukrainian forces for the first time within Kyiv itself on Friday.