Volodymyr
Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, on Friday vowed to stay put in capital Kyiv
as Russian forces march towards Ukraine. “(The) enemy has marked me down as the
number one target. My family is the number two target. They want to destroy
Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state,” Zelensky said in a video
message. Ukraine believes the Russian invasion is meant to affect a regime change,
get a more pro-Moscow figurehead in place.

On Thursday,
explosions were reported across Ukraine’s cities as thousands attempted to flee
the country. The Russian attack is by land air and sea and dozens of people
have been killed in the attack, a Reuters report said.

While tensions between
Ukraine and Russia over NATO’s increased influence in western Europe have been
rising for a while, dialogue and diplomacy fell apart after Russian President
Vladimir Putin called for a “special military operation” in rebel regions of
Ukraine that Moscow had legitimised.

Antony Blinken,
the United States Secretary of State, was asked by media whether he was worried
about President Zelensky’s safety. Blinken said, “To the best of my knowledge,
President Zelensky remains in Ukraine at his post, and of course we’re
concerned for the safety of all our friends in Ukraine – government officials
and others.”

According to the
Ukrainian president, 137 people, including military servicemen and civilians,
have been killed in the conflict and hundreds wounded. Ukraine, the second-largest
country in Europe by area, has sought more weapons to fight the Russians.

Ukrainian Foreign
Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the country needed more weapons to continue
fighting. “The amount of tanks, armoured vehicles, airplanes, helicopters that
Russia threw on Ukraine is unimaginable,” Kuleba said.

Meanwhile, the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to vote Friday on a draft
resolution that would condemn Russia’s invasion and require Moscow’s immediate
withdrawal. Moscow, however, can veto the measure.