The Ukrainian army announced on Friday morning that it is battling units of Russian armored vehicles in the cities of Dimer and Ivankiv, located 45 and 80 kilometers north of Kyiv, respectively. The Ukrainian Ground Forces wrote on their Facebook page that "the assault airborne troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are engaged in combat around the cities of Dimer and Ivankiv, where a large number of enemy armored vehicles have arrived."
Earlier, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar warned that Russian forces would enter areas on the outskirts of the capital on Friday, after officials reported that the city and other regions were subjected to Russian missile strikes in the early hours of the morning. She added that Ukrainian army units are defending positions on four fronts, despite the numerical superiority of Russian forces, according to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday accused the Russian army of targeting civilian areas in Kyiv, praising the "bravery" of Ukrainians and affirming that his soldiers are "doing everything they can to defend the country," as reported by AFP. Zelensky confirmed earlier that the Russian forces attacking his country have ceased advancing in most directions, noting that Russia resumed missile strikes at 4 AM local time on Friday, but their forces have been "prevented from advancing in most directions."
On Thursday night, the Ukrainian president stated that Russian troops had infiltrated Kyiv. He explained in a video message posted on the Ukrainian presidency's account: "We have received information about enemy sabotage groups entering Kyiv," urging residents to remain vigilant and adhere to the curfew. Zelensky pledged to remain in Kyiv, warning that "the enemy has identified me as the number one target. My family is the second target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state."
He noted that 137 military personnel and civilians lost their lives in the fighting on Thursday, with hundreds more injured. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba condemned on Friday the Russian missile strikes targeting Kyiv at dawn, which resulted in at least three injuries, following the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ground Forces reported on their Facebook account that there was "missile fire" targeting Kyiv, confirming that they destroyed two of these missiles during their flight.
