‘We will defend Ukraine until the end': President

Zelenskyy calls on Russian people to oppose war, invites all who want to defend Ukraine to his country

KYIV:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to defend Ukraine "until the end" in an address to his nation on Saturday.

Zelenskyy called on Russian people to oppose the war and invited all who want to defend Ukraine to his country.

He said they stood upright against Russia's attacks and successfully repulsed them, and denied the reports that he has left the capital Kyiv.

“We know that we are defending our homeland, our land, and our children. Kyiv and key cities around the capital are controlled by our army,” said Zelenskyy.

“The invaders wanted to block the centre of our state and put their puppets there, as in Donetsk. We ruined their plans,” he added.

Read more: ‘198 civilians killed’ as Russian, Ukrainian troops come face to face in Kyiv

Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine entered its third day on Saturday, with the latest reports indicating clashes between Russian and Ukrainian troops in Kyiv streets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military intervention Thursday, days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine.

Also read: Ukraine downs 14 Russian planes, 8 helicopters, 102 tanks, 3,500 soldiers

He claimed that Moscow had no plan to occupy its western neighbour, but wanted to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of trying to install a puppet government, vowing that Ukrainians will defend their country against Russian aggression.