‘Will Arm You’: Ukrainian President Urges Civilians To Defend Kyiv, Says Russia’s Attack Plan Derailed

"We have withstood and are successfully repelling enemy attacks. The fighting goes on," Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message posted on his social media.

Kyiv: As Russian forces continued to launch the coordinated missile and artillery attacks on several Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said Ukraine’s forces have halted the Kremlin’s push to capture Kyiv and oust him, reported news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). Quoting Zelensky, the news agency said the Ukrainian President has also urged Russians to pressure leader Vladimir Putin into stopping the invasion.

Zelensky also thanked the Russians who have spoken out against the war. He also urges Germany, Hungary to support cutting Russia from SWIFT — The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.

Further urging the civilians to come forward to protect the capital, he said, “we are controlling Kyiv and key points around the city. Who wants to come and help us do, we will arm you. We need to stop this war, we can live in peace,” according to news agency Reuters.

“We have withstood and are successfully repelling enemy attacks. The fighting goes on,” Zelenskiy said in a video message posted on his social media.”We will not put down weapons, we will defend our state,” he added.

Meanwhile, Russian troops on Saturday captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, Russia’s Interfax news agency said.

However, Ukrainian forces repelled a Russian attack in the Lviv region near Brody in western Ukraine, Lviv’s mayor was quoted as saying by the Telegram messaging service.