Ukraine invasion: What to know as Russian forces target Kyiv:
Ukrainian troops inspect the site following a Russian airstrike in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Russian forces began closing in on Ukraine’s capital of Kiev on Saturday, following up on a barrage of airstrikes hitting cities and military bases. Ukrainian officials have reported some success in fending off the Russian onslaught though fighting still persists near the capital. Russia has been put under more pressure internationally as countries pledge to help Ukraine in the conflict. One example of this is Germany which pledged on Saturday to quickly send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelinskyy was urged by the US government to evacuate Kyiv but he refused the offer saying, “the fight is here.” The United States estimates that more than half of the forces Russia had arranged along the border have entered Ukraine, up from Friday’s estimate of one third. Although Russia claims its assault is focused exclusively on military targets, bridges, schools, and residential neighborhoods have been hit and civilians killed. UN officials say that at least 100,000 individuals have fled Ukraine to Poland, Romania, Hungary and other neighboring countries with that number rapidly increasing.