‘Take Power Into Your Own Hands’: Russian President Putin Asks Ukrainian Army To Remove Leadership In Kyiv

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is ready for talks with Ukraine once the Ukrainian Army responds positively to President Vladimir Putin's call and ends their resistance and lays down their arms.

Russia-Ukraine War Latest News: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday asked the Ukrainian army to remove leadership in Kyiv even as the Ukrainian forces tried to fight off the Russian troops on the second day of the war that claimed dozens of lives. Calling the Ukrainian authorities ‘gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis’, Putin said he is fighting ‘terrorists’ and ‘neo-Nazis’ in Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said in a statement that more than 1,000 Russian servicemen had been killed in the Ukrainian conflict. “Russia has not suffered so many casualties during the fighting in any of its armed conflicts since its inception,” the ministry said.

Moreover, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky decided to stay in Kyiv as his troops are busy fighting the Russian invaders. “(The) enemy has marked me down as the number one target,” Zelensky warned in a video message. My family is the number two target. I will stay in the capital. My family is also in Ukraine,” he said.

In the meantime, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is ready for talks with Ukraine once the Ukrainian Army responds positively to President Vladimir Putin’s call and ends their resistance and lays down their arms.

Lavrov made the remarks following talks with Deputy Foreign Minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Sergey Peresada and Foreign Minister of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) Vladislav Deinego, the state-run TASS news agency reported.

President Putin on Thursday launched a multi-pronged all-out attack on Ukraine, casting aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences they had never seen”.

He said the Russian military operation aims to ensure a demilitarisation of Ukraine. Putin also urged Ukrainian servicemen to immediately put down arms and go home.