Appeal to Germany
Zelenskyj: “Successfully fend off enemy attacks”
2/26/2022 1:22 p.m
On the third day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the military situation is unclear. What is certain, however, is that Russia is encountering strong resistance. It is “the Ukrainian army that controls Kiev and important cities around the capital,” says President Zelenskyy in one of his video messages.
According to its President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine has successfully fended off Russian attacks in the Kiev area. “We have asserted ourselves and are successfully fending off enemy attacks,” said Zelenskyj in a video message published on Facebook. Fighting continues in many regions of Ukraine. But it is “the Ukrainian army that controls Kiev and important cities around the capital”.
The 44-year-old head of state again accused Russia of attacking civilian targets – which Moscow denies. “The enemy used everything against us: missiles, fighter planes, drones, artillery, armored vehicles, paratroopers.” However, the Russian army failed to break the Ukrainians’ resistance. Zelenskyy said Russia planned to install political “puppets” in Kiev, like those found in the separatist areas of eastern Ukraine. He added: “We thwarted their plan.”
Zelenskyi also addressed the Russian population directly. He knows that “many people in Russia are simply shocked by the shabbiness and cruelty” of their government. The Russians must now make it clear to the Kremlin “that this war must be ended immediately,” he said, also referring to the Russian casualties. “Just stop those who are lying to you, who are lying to us, who are lying to the whole world.”
Army: Stop Russian advance
The Ukrainian head of state spoke out in favor of his country’s EU membership – a hopeless undertaking at the moment. He also called on Germany and Hungary to press ahead with Russia’s exclusion from the Swift international banking communications network. Germany and Hungary had recently spoken out against a Swift exclusion after Italy had given up its resistance. The EU and US have already imposed sweeping economic sanctions in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army called on the population to stop the Russian advance by any means necessary. “Cut down trees, build barricades, burn tires! Use everything you have at hand!” Quoted the Unian agency from a statement. The construction of so-called Molotov cocktails could also help. “The occupiers must understand that they are not wanted here and that they will be resisted on every street,” it said. “May they be afraid to even look at our cities. Together to victory! The occupiers will be destroyed.”
Russia began a major attack on Ukraine on Thursday morning. Within a few hours, Russian ground troops had then advanced to the greater Kiev area. According to Ukrainian sources, 198 civilians have been killed and more than 1,100 others injured since the war began. Ukraine also reported the deaths of 2,800 Russian soldiers. The information can hardly be verified by an independent party. Because of the conflict, tens of thousands of people are fleeing.