Russians close on Kyiv but meet strong resistance

Russian assaults on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv have been met with fierce resistance, as the Ukrainian military says it has fought off several attacks.

The military said in a Facebook post early on Saturday that an army unit managed to repel Russian forces near its base on a major city street.

President Zelensky earlier warned Russia would try to “storm” Kyiv.

The city government confirmed there was fighting on the streets and urged people to stay at home.

According to a report by Interfax-Ukraine, it put out a statement asking people to stay in shelters and to stay away from windows if they were at home.

But Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Oleksiy Danilov told Ukrainian news site Lb.ua that the army was “in control” of the situation.

“We are stopping the horde using all means available. The army servicemen and citizens are in control of Kyiv,” said Mr Danilov.

Early on Saturday, Ukraine’s air force command also reported heavy fighting near the Vasylkiv air base, southwest of Kyiv, adding that it was under attack by Russian paratroopers.

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