Main route south into Kyiv reports heavy fighting

Heavy battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces has been reported around Chernihiv, some 105 kilometres (65 miles) north of Kyiv.

The regional headquarters of Ukraine‘s Security Service was on fire, according to video from the city. CNN spoke with a witness who said it was still blazing late Friday.

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The Russian military ministry recognised fighting in the area, claiming that Russian forces “have completed the blockade of the city of Chernihiv,” effectively isolating the city.

Ukraine claims its forces destroyed more than thirty Russian tanks in the Chernihiv area, inflicting serious damage on Russian battalions.

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Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, claimed earlier Friday that the Ukrainian military had managed to hold the defensive and repel Russian soldiers from breaking through in Chernihiv.

Chernihiv is located on the main highway between Belarus and Ukraine.

The ground assault on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, is coming from three different angles.

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Two are northern routes from Belarus, however the Ukrainians claim that after collapsing a bridge in Ivankiv, the Russian advance from the north-west has been delayed.

Another squad of Russian armoured vehicles has targeted Sumy in the northeast, which is likewise located on a major Kyiv highway.