A top Ukrainian official has claimed that Russia has amassed a large number of troops in villages and towns near Kiev, and is likely to stage an attempt to occupy the capital city in the next few days as Moscow’s military advances continue.
Speaking to the state-run Ukrainian TV on Sunday night, Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to the Minister of the Interior, said that a key battle is expected to take place within the next few days, Ukrayinska Pravda reported.
“A fairly large amount of Russian (military) equipment and Russian troops are concentrated at the approaches to Kiev. We understand that the battle for Kiev is a key battle which will be fought in the coming days,” the adviser added.
Denysenko’s remarks on Sunday came as Russia has continued its invasion of Ukraine, with continued shelling and attacks across the country, including major cities.
Earlier in the day, a mother and her three children were killed as mortar fire hit an evacuation route from the town of Irpin, about 26 km from Kiev, which has been under heavy bombardment, the BBC reported.
In Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine, one person was killed and five others were injured as Russian air strikes hit a residential building, reports Ukrayinska Pravda.
Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that Russian helicopters were hovering over Kharkiv.
In his nightly address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelensky in a stern warning to Russia said that Ukrainian forces “will pursue any soldier that commits war crimes in Kiev’s territory to the grave”.
