THE BATTLE BEYOND KYIV rages on as Russian forces close in on the capital, with defiant Ukrainian soldiers erecting tank traps in the streets to repel invaders.
As a reported airbase just miles from Kyiv has been hit by missiles, Vladimir Putin’s troops are believed to be only 15 miles away.
This morning, the mayor of Vasylkiv claimed that a Russian rocket had destroyed a Ukrainian airbase near the city in Kyiv Oblast, with footage showing a ferocious fire at the site.
According to Vasylkiv Mayor Natalia Balasynovych, an ammunition depot was also hit, with social media footage showing smoke billowing from the scene.
According to Kyiv Oblast police, a fire broke out at the depot after it was hit by six Russian missiles.
Air raid sirens wailed across the capital and other cities this morning, with reports of explosions in the strategic city of Dnipro, as well as Mykolaiv, Nikolaev, and Kropyvnytskyi.
However, as Putin’s invasion continues to stall, Ukraine’s defence unit has claimed that an enemy control point in the Kyiv direction has been destroyed after being blasted from the air, declaring in a tweet that “our Air Force is working.”
It comes as Russia is suspected of planning another major assault on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, with troops seen moving towards the city.
Satellite imagery shows Russian tanks and other vehicles approaching Kyiv, while other aerial footage appears to show military equipment stationed outside the capital.
The images were captured near Antonov Airport, just miles from the city, by Maxar, which has been monitoring the invasion since its inception.
Along the main road, a large military convoy can be seen.
Images appear to show that the infamous 40-mile “death convoy” of Russian vehicles that had been stalled near Kyiv for nearly two weeks has now “disappeared,” as rocket artillery is being moved into firing positions for an assault on the city.
According to the UK Defence Ministry, Russia is likely to resume its offensive in Kyiv in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Maxar Technologies reported that Russian troops have been firing artillery at residential areas, while new imagery appears to show homes and buildings on fire in the village of Moschun, which is only 17 miles from Kyiv.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian MP has declared that the battle for Kyiv will be Russia’s new “Stalingrad if they want it to be.”
Sviatoslav Yurah, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, said: “It’s a massive town of millions, and if the Russians try to come in, they’ll have quite a fight on their hands – this will be their Stalingrad if they want it to be.”
“Nobody is going to surrender – I can assure you of that.”
It comes as Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Volodymyr Zelensky, has stated that the country has reached a “strategic turning point” in its conflict with Russia, urging Ukrainians to be patient.
Ukraine’s president stated in a video message: “Many people, I’m sure, have begun to feel tired. I appreciate it. Impatient. I appreciate it.
“This is how it is. We expect the struggle to end sooner when we mobilise, when we see our victories and the enemy’s defeat on the battlefield.
“We anticipate that the invaders will fall faster. But this is war, this is life. This is a battle. Time is still required. Patience will still be required.”
Zelensky stated in his most recent video address: “The Russian troops have suffered significant casualties. We could be talking about the greatest blow to Russian troops in tens of years right now.”
It comes after a senior Moscow diplomat warned that Russia may target Western military equipment shipments to Ukraine after Joe Biden warned of “World War Three.”
According to Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, “pumping weapons from a number of countries it orchestrates isn’t just a dangerous move; it’s an action that makes those convoys legitimate targets.”
The warning came after Biden personally halted plans to send MiG fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine, claiming that a direct clash between Russia and NATO would be disastrous.
Biden stated that if necessary, he would defend “every single inch” of the military alliance.
Poland offered the US 28 twin-engine jet fighter aircraft, but Biden rejected the offer, fearing it would spark “World War Three.”
Meanwhile, the besieged city of Mariupol’s council revealed that at least 1,582 civilians were slaughtered after 12 days of nonstop Russian bombardment.
According to city officials, hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in Mariupol, including 3,000 babies and 50,000 children.
Fights for food have erupted as terrified residents cower in freezing, damp, and overcrowded basements with no electricity or running water.
Members of the Red Cross who are taking refuge in the city have reported a desperate situation in terms of medicine and other supplies.
On Twitter, one person described how they had opened up the office to more than 60 people in order to keep them safe.
“We only keep the shelter, the basement, for children and their mothers,” they explained.
“All other adults and children over the age of twelve must sleep in the office.” It’s bitterly cold. We still have some generator fuel, so we have power for 3-4 hours per day.
“People report varying needs in medicine. Especially for diabetes and cancer patients.
“But there is no way to find it anymore in the city. People are getting sick already because of the cold.”
