Photo: Chris McGrath / Getty Images
By: Maria Ortiz and Ricardo López Juárez Updated 25 Feb 2022, 0: 05 am EST
Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, was attacked with missiles by Russia before dawn on Friday, according to a Ukrainian government adviser, while Russia continued its military assault against the country where dozens of Ukrainian forces have already been killed, according to CNN.
“Attacks on Kiev with cruise or ballistic missiles continued”, Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, told reporters via text message on Friday as the city’s population braced for more Russian military action.
A CNN crew on the ground reported hearing two large explosions in central Kiev and a third loud explosion in the distance. The images showed an apartment block on fire, but the cause of the fire could not be verified.
Ukraine’s deputy interior minister attributed u an explosion over Kiev to a Ukrainian anti-missile system that shot down a Russian missile. CNN said he was unable to verify the assessment.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar reported on her Twitter account that the estimated enemy losses at 03: 02 hours (local time) of 25 of February were: 7 airplanes, 6 helicopters, 30 tanks and that the loss of enemy personnel is approximately (to be specified) 800 people.
#stoprussia
🔊Заступник Міністра оборони України Ганна Маляр інформує:
Орієнтовні втрати противника станом на 00: 25.02.2022
Літаки 7 од.
Gel_kopter 6 od.
Tanki – більше 30 od.ББМ – 137 од.
Втрати особового складу противника орієнтовно (уточнюється) 800 осіб.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 25, 2022
Russia’s goal: to overthrow the government of Ukraine
Just a day earlier, Russian forces entered by land, sea and air, prompting an avalanche of international condemnation and sanctions amid questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s broader ambitions. , for the country and the capital, Kiev.
Forces Russians seemed to be surrounding the city and ready to enter, Ukraine’s deputy interior minister told CNN on Thursday. The country’s officials believe that Russia’s plan is to overthrow the Ukrainian leadership and install a pro-Russian government.
These fears were shared by the secretary of State Anthony Blinken who said Thursday that he is “convinced” that Moscow will try to overthrow the Ukrainian government.
If that happens, Blinken said he believes that “Moscow has developed plans to inflict widespread human rights abuses, and potentially worse, on the Ukrainian people.”
TO 20 miles from Kiev
Administration officials of Biden said that the Russian mechanized forces that had entered Ukraine through Belarus were about 20 miles away from Kiev, sources told CNN.
Officials told leg islators from the US House of Representatives at a briefing on Ukraine on Thursday that another Russian element had entered Ukraine from Russia and that both headed to Kiev with the goal of encircling the city and potentially overthrowing the Ukrainian government, according to two sources who were on the call with lawmakers
For now, Ukraine’s democratically elected government remains intact and the state of emergency was due to start on Friday.
“Ukrainians they are challenging. They’re not backing down.” CNN’s Don Lemon reacted like this to the audio of Ukrainian soldiers defending Snake Island in the Black Sea from an approaching Russian warshipba. All Ukrainian soldiers were reported killed, according to President Zelensky.
“ Ukrainians are defiant. They aren’t backing down.” CNN’s @DonLemon reacts to audio of Ukrainian soldiers defending Snake Island in the Black Sea from an approaching Russian warship. All the Ukrainian soldiers are reported to have been killed, according to President Zelensky. pic.twitter.com/Mb3rOyZPWF— CNN (@CNN) February 24, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky remains in the capital but has said that he believes that “enemy sabotage groups” have entered this city and that he is their number one target. His family, he said, is his second target.
“They want to politically destroy Ukraine by destroying the head of state,” he said in a video statement Thursday night.
According to preliminary figures, 137 Ukrainian soldiers have died since the Russian invasion began Thursday morning and other 316 soldiers have been injured, Zelensky said.
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Blinken is “convinced” that Russia will try to overthrow the Ukrainian government
Russia invades Ukraine: what we know so far about the operation ordered by Putin
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