Explosions have been heard both in the Ukraine capital Kyiv and its second biggest city of Kharkiv as president Zelensky says the country faces ‘crucial’ 24 hours.
In a viral video shared on Twitter on Monday morning, rounds of gunfire can be heard in Kharkiv.
“Kharkiv airport and residential areas are under heavy shelling,” the message reads.
The Mayor of Kharkiv also told the city of 1.4 million residents that he was trying to keep the city functioning while doing their best to hold off Russian troops.
“Starting from this morning multiple units of Russian Army made a breakthrough into Kharkiv. You saw them into residential areas of the city. Yesterday night there was an enormous artillery bombardment. But we have held the line. And we will forever,” Mayor Igor Terekhov wrote.
“Dear Inhabitants of Kharkiv. My dears. We must stick together. Me and our utility service are doing all what we can: we reconnect central heating. This morning, we reinitiated garbage collection. But were had to stop because we were under gunfire.”
He continued: “I beg you to take care of yourself. We are doing everything possible and sometimes — have to admit it — that it is impossible together with our utilities service to ensure the functioning of the city of Kharkiv.
“We will withstand. We are Kharkovites.”
Presdent Volodymyr Zelensky also warned that the country faces a ‘crucial’ 24 hours as Russian President Vladimir Putin throws even more military forces at the capital.
Satellite photos showed a three mile-long convoy en route to Kyiv after Putin ordered his nuclear deterrent forces on ‘alert.’
Military vehicles were seen moving toward the capital despite officials agreeing to hold peace talks with Belarus.
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