Ukraine capital Kyiv a ‘fortress’ as photos appear to show 60km Russian column breaking up
- Satellite images appear to show Russian military column threatening Kyiv from north has dispersed to new positions
- Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of attack on humanitarian corridor in the besieged city of Mariupol
01:30
Ukrainian forces train with newly delivered anti-tank weapons
Russian troops edged closer to Kyiv on Friday, as officials said the Ukrainian capital was being transformed into a “fortress” and President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of again targeting humanitarian corridors.
Hundreds of thousands of civilians remain holed up in Ukrainian cities, including besieged Mariupol, under a Russian bombing campaign after the first talks between Moscow and Kyiv’s top diplomats ended without any progress.
Satellite images appeared to show a 60km Russian military column threatening Kyiv from the north had dispersed to new positions, private US company Maxar Technologies said, possibly in preparation for an assault on the capital.
Armoured units were seen in towns near the Antonov Airport. Some of the vehicles have moved into forests, Maxar reported, with towed howitzers nearby in position to open fire.
The convoy had massed outside the city early last week, but its advance appeared to stall as reports of food and fuel shortages circulated.
The Ukrainian military in a statement warned “the enemy is trying to eliminate the defences of the Ukrainian forces around” regions to the west and northwest of the capital “to block Kyiv”.
“We can’t rule out a movement of the enemy to the east towards Brovary,” the statement added.