For the 3rd day the Ukrainian defense and Kiev endure – 10 Greek civilians dead

LAST UPDATE: 01:25

Another four expatriates lost their lives in an air strike in the village of Sartana, as announced by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bringing the total number of dead to 10.

“The airstrikes against civilians, which continue in the village of Sartana and which led to the death an additional four expatriates“These are unacceptable criminal acts,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on the killing of four expatriates in the village of Sartana in eastern Ukraine.

“We unequivocally condemn them. We call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease air strikes and any action against civilians,” he added.

“10 innocent citizens of Greek origin were killed today by Russian airstrikes near Mariupol,” said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a Twitter post in English, adding “Stop the bombing now!”.

Their death the first two expatriatesaccording to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was provoked by a Russian aircraft on its outskirts Sartana village in Eastern Ukraine.

As for death in addition of four Greek expatriates, it happenedaccording to an announcement by the Foreign Minister, in the village of Bougaswhich is located about 70 km north of Mariupol.

Sirens sound in Kiev – in the shelters the citizens

Two large explosions lit up the night sky in southwestern Kiev early Sunday morning, with an explosion about 20 kilometers, or about 12 miles, from the city center, according to CNN.

The second blast shook western Kiev shortly before 1:00 local time. The second blast also struck from the southwestern part of the city, in the direction of the second largest airport in the city, CNN reports.

The night sky lit up for several minutes, the network typically reports.

Network correspondents say loud explosions are heard, which could mean a general attack on the city. At the same time, warnings are heard in buildings and neighborhoods for the residents to be immediately transferred to shelters.

The Russian military on Saturday received orders to expand its offensive in all directions despite growing international outcry, with the Kremlin announcing that Kiev had refused to negotiate, according to the APE-MPE.

“Today all units have been ordered to extend the attack in all directions, according to the plan of attack,” Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

He said pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, backed by the Russian military, were “succeeding”.

These allegations cannot be directly verified by an independent source.

It should be noted that the forces of Chechen fighters of Putin’s ally Ramzan Kadyrov.

Zelensky: Kiev is enduring

THE However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the capital, Kiev, was still under Ukrainian control.while the same applies to key cities around the capital.

A Adviser to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russian attack on Kiev is not progressing and that about 3,500 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded so far in the Moscow attack on Ukraine, according to Reuters.

“We are hitting the enemy around Kiev. The enemy is not moving at the moment,” said Oleksiy Arestovych.

Earlier, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peshkov said Russian troops were beginning to return to Ukraine. after President Vladimir Putin stopped the attack a day earlier in anticipation of talks with Kiev that never took place, the Kremlin said, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Kiev, V. Klitschko announced that the curfew will take effect today after 5 p.m. and whoever is released will be considered a saboteur by the authorities.

In addition to Kiev – where two rockets hit areas southwest of the center today – the main points of the Russian-Ukrainian confrontation are in southern and especially eastern parts of Ukraine.

At the same time the Refugee flows from Ukraine to neighboring countries. 100,000 Ukrainians have crossed into Poland.

Zelensky refused to leave Kiev

“The battle is here, I need ammunition, not a means of transport,” Zelensky said in a video shot outside his office in the capital, according to Reuters. with a senior US intelligence official with direct knowledge of the matter.

The same source described Zelensky as optimistic.

I’m not going to fake. pic.twitter.com/wiLqmCuz1p

– Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022

Rockets in Kiev

Meanwhile, today, two rockets hit areas southwest of the center of Kiev, a Reuters correspondent reported. One of the rockets landed in the area near Zhulyany Airport.

According to an eyewitness of Reuters, the sirens sounded again in Kiev at 11:20 a.m. Greek time.

Another witness said the rockets hit the area near Sevastopol Square, while the Kyiv city government said one of the rockets hit an apartment building.

Heavy fire from various parts of the Ukrainian capital It was reported in the early hours of today, following a warning issued by the country’s president who said he expected the Russian army to attack Kiev overnight.

The Ukrainian military says it has repulsed an attack by Russian troops on a Ukrainian base west of Kiev during the night, about seven kilometers from the city center.

Photos show fire on the spot, while videos uploaded on social media show gunshots.

Kyiv, our splendid, peaceful city, survived another night under attacks by Russian ground forces, missiles. One of them has hit a residential apartment in Kyiv. I demand the world: fully isolate Russia, expel ambassadors, oil embargo, ruin its economy. Stop Russian war criminals! pic.twitter.com/c3ia46Ctjq

– Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 26, 2022

The Ukrainian army said in the early hours of Saturday that it had repulsed a Russian attack on a boulevard in Kiev, the French news agency reported.

Shots were also reported near the station Beresteska tof the metro of the Ukrainian capital.

Explosions from artillery fire were heard around 03:00 (Greek time) at outskirts of Kiev, of the Ukrainian capital, Reuters news agency quoted an eyewitness as saying.

The fronts in the rest of the country

Meanwhile the Ukrainian agency Ukrinform reported that The Russian military has targeted the CHP-6 power plant in northeastern Kiev as fighting continues in the Vasilkiv region Earlier, the Ukrainian military said it had shot down a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military aircraft carrying paratroopers.

The station is currently under the control of Ukrainian troops, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, citing the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy.

The Ukrainian military says it shot down a Russian military helicopter and a Russian Su-25 fighter jet near the area around midnight. Kalinivka.

Earlier it was reported that a Russian military aircraft Ilyushin Il-76 shot down by paratroopers crashed near the Vasilkiv area, approximately 35 km away from Kiev.

Residential A residential building was hit in #Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/hFN3Z3aMTq

– NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 26, 2022

A few minutes before 5.30 in the morning sirens sounded for an air raid on Kharkiv, while the Russian attack on Ukraine continues.

The military administration of Ukraine announced that areas near the cities Sumi, Poltava and Mariupol hit from the air, with Russian Kalibr cruise missiles being fired at the country from the Black Sea.

The local government of the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine said on Saturday that fighting was taking place on its streets, urging residents to stay at home.

The defense forces are “involved in a battle with the enemy”, said the city authorities.

Indications of Russian aid

Satellite photos released by the American company Maxar Technologies show new deployment of ground troops and about 150 transport helicopters in southern Belarus, about 32 km from the Ukrainian border, as broadcast by Reuters.

According to Maxar, the satellite images taken on Friday show more than 90 helicopters parked on a road near the Belarusian city of Hoiniki, forming a “chain” of almost 8 kilometers. At the same time, a strong ground force appears with hundreds of vehicles nearby.

Reuters notes that it is not able to verify the data published by the American company Maxar Technologies, which has been monitoring the gathering of Russian troops in recent weeks.

Aid from the West

As clashes erupt between Russian and Ukrainian forces, US President Joe Biden has instructed the State Department to release $ 350 million as military aid to Ukraine as the country tries to repel a Russian invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said his Western partners would deliver new weapons and equipment to Ukraine following talks with the Frenchman. President Emmanuel Macron.

“A new day has begun on the diplomatic front, with a conversation with @Emmanuel Macron. Weapons and equipment from our partners are on their way to Ukraine. The anti-war coalition is working,” he said in a Twitter post.

Berlin, in a historic turn, announced today the sending of military equipment to Ukraine“It’s our duty to do what we can to support Ukraine in its defense against Putin’s invading army,” said German Chancellor Olaf Solz.

THE France has decided to send more defense military equipment and fuel to Ukraine to support it in its fight against the invasion of the Russian army, was announced today by the presidential palace of the Elysium.

But also the The Netherlands will send anti-tank weapons to Ukraineannounced today the Dutch Ministry of Defense.