Explosions and gunfire have been heard in a northern district of Kyiv, as invading Russian forces closed in, AFP reports from the ground.
Pedestrians ran for safety and small arms fire and explosions were heard in the Obolonsky area. The larger blasts could be heard as far away as the city centre.
Russian forces first arrived on the outskirts of Kyiv on Thursday when helicopter-borne troops assaulted an airfield just outside the city, close to Obolonsky, AFP reports.
As they arrived in Obolonsky, within the city, the Ministry of Defence’s Facebook page urged civilians to resist:
We urge citizens to inform us of troop movements, to make Molotov cocktails, and neutralise the enemy.
⚡️BREAKING: Russia’s forces have entered the Obolon district in Kyiv, where the Ukrainian military is currently fighting them. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry ask residents not to leave their house and prepare Molotov cocktails. The district is approximately 10 km from central Kyiv.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 25, 2022
