The enemy is at the gates, Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko, sounded the alarm Tuesday as Russian forces gathered on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital. The former boxer-turned-politician, who has now joined the war effort, assured citizens that the Ukrainian military is prepared to defend the city, CNN quoted a video message shared by the mayor. 

“Our armed forces, Territorial Defense Forces, are fighting heroically for our land”, and added, “Fortifications and checkpoints have been built at the entrances to the city. I ask everyone to keep calm. Do not go outside unnecessarily and stay in shelters in case of alarm”. 

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Satellite images from around the region, reported by Maxar technologies show that a 40-mile long military convoy, comprising of tanks, armoured vehicles, towed artillery and other logistical vehicles has reached the outskirts of the capital. 

So, the only question that remains is, will Kyiv fall? 

Cometh the hour, cometh the man

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed a military commander who’ll lead the defence of Kyiv. General Mykola Zhernov will take charge of the city’s defences, coordinating with Mayor Klitschko.

Zelenskyy delivered a speech on his Telegram channel, where he announced “The defence of our capital is now our most important priority. I decided to appoint a professional military man as the head of the Kyiv city military administration for the duration of the war. To guarantee the defence of the city, to block the enemy’s intrigues in our capital, so that the people of Kyiv have all that they need”. 

Abandon all hope, you who remain

The Russian military has already issued a warning that it plans to carry out strikes against some facilities in Kyiv so that civilians living near those areas have time to leave, CNN reported. 

The Russian defence ministry issued a statement, as per TASS, Russia’s state-run news agency, claiming that troops sent by Putin plan to target the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the 72nd Main Center for Information and Psychological Operations (PSO) in Kyiv. 

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As per TASS, the statement reads, “In order to suppress information attacks against Russia, the technological facilities of the SBU and the 72nd main PSO centre in Kyiv will be hit with high-precision weapons. We call on Ukrainian citizens attracted by Ukrainian nationalists to carry out provocations against Russia, as well as residents of Kyiv living near relay nodes leave their homes”. 

Run to the hills, run for your lives

In light of the worsening security situation in Kyiv, the Italian embassy has been moved from Kyiv to Lviv for the time being, CNN reported.

The shift to the western Ukrainian city was announced by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, so the embassy could “continue carrying out its duties”, as per CNN. 

On Monday, France too shifted its embassy from Kyiv to Lviv. 

Battle for the heart of Ukraine 

Defending Kyiv is the top priority of the government. In a previous video message, Zelenskyy said, “Kyiv is special. If we protect Kyiv, we will protect the state. This is the heart of our country, and it must keep beating”, CNN reported. 

Now, with Ukraine believing that the wolf is at the door, Kyiv’s mayor has echoed these sentiments, saying that the Russian forces are trying to take away the heart of Ukraine. As per CNN, Klitschko firmly stated, “We will fight and we will not give Kyiv up”. 

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Thus far, Ukraine has held off Russian attempts to take over key cities including Kyiv and Kharkiv, the latter being Ukraine’s second-largest city. President Zelenskyy is determined to hold his ground against the oncoming Russian troops. Now, the comedian-turned-politician will face the might of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s army in his country’s capital.