New Delhi, February 26: Vitaly Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev, imposed an intensified curfew Saturday as Russian troops pressed into the city.

Reuters reports that Klitschko announced on the Telegram app that he was increasing the curfew hours from 5 pm to 8 am. During the curfew, "all civilians on the streets will be considered sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the enemy," Klitschko said. The curfew imposed two days ago lasted from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

On the second day of Russian invasion in Ukraine the capital city of Kyiv was hit by multiple rocket strikes. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba slammed these strikes by saying the last time Kyiv ever experienced this was in 1941 when the capital city was attacked by the Nazis. 

Russian forces have gone all out with their attacks in Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a military operation. Putin has recognised Ukraine’s two breakaway regions- Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities. 

The Ukrainian military fought back on multiple fronts. As Ukrainian forces fought back and civilians piled into trains and cars to flee, the US and European leaders rushed to punish Russia with strong financial sanctions. NATO moved to strengthen its eastern flank.

Ukraine’s health minister said 198 civilians, including three children, have been killed so far by Russian forces. “Unfortunately, according to operative data, at the hands of the invaders we have 198 dead, including 3 children, 1,115 wounded, including 33 children,” Health Minister Viktor Lyashko wrote on Facebook. His statement came even as fighting continued in the streets of Kyiv on Saturday

Invading Russian forces closed in on Ukraine’s capital Friday, and satellite images taken on Friday showed several large deployments of ground forces and about 150 transport helicopters in southern Belarus, about 32 km from the border with Ukraine. An Air India evacuation flight comprising Indians in Ukraine has taken off from Romania and will arrive in Mumbai at 4 pm.

Ukraine’s defence ministry said on Friday that the armed forces inflicted some 800 casualties on Russian forces, adding more than 30 of their tanks, seven aircraft and six helicopters have been destroyed.  India Abstains From Voting In UN Resolution Condemning Russia’s Aggression In Ukraine

India abstained on a US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution that condemned Russia's "aggression" against Ukraine and demanded "immediate, complete and unconditional" withdrawal of Russian forces from the neighbouring country.

The United Nations has urged that protection of civilians in Ukraine should be the number one priority.   Russia-Ukraine War: Indian Embassy in Ukraine Warns Its Citizens Not To Move to Any Border Posts Without Coordination with Officials

Despite receiving global flak, Russian President Vladimir Putin has justified the invasion by asserting the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine. Putin also warned that any interference would lead to “consequences you have never seen.”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 26, 2022 10:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).