Zelensky insists Ukrainian forces still control Kyiv, refuses US offer to flee

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces still controlled Kyiv and appealed to “friends” abroad to join the fight.

Zelenskyy has refused an offer from the United States to flee Ukraine and called on those who have fled its borders to return to help and defend the country. He said he spoke to President Joe Biden to discuss strengthening existing sanctions against Russia.

"Everyone who can defend Ukraine abroad please do it directly in a united way. Every friend of Ukraine who wants to join Ukraine in defending the country please come over, we will give you weapons," Zelensky said. "The enemy has designated me as the target number one, and my family as the target number two".

He also warned that Ukrainian officials now have information that enemy sabotage groups had entered Kyiv, but he did not elaborate on what those groups might be.

Sviatoslav Yurash, a Ukranian MP who has taken up arms said Ukrainian forces had captured or killed hundreds of Russians near Kyiv.

"We don’t have a choice, the fact that Russia wants to annihilate the biggest state in Europe. Putin wants to destroy it. He has said it time and time again, where he has tried to denounce the very idea of Ukraine," Mr Yurash said. 

Ukraine's military also said it had shot down an II-76 Russian transport plane carrying paratroopers near Vasylkiv, a city 40km south of Kyiv, an account confirmed by two US intelligence officials said.

Sky News reported that Russian forces took over the city of Melitopol, with residents uploading videos of a Russian flag hanging from the local police station. 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are thought to have redeployed north towards Zaporizhzhia to repel any further attempted incursion

At least 198 Ukrainians have died since the invasion began three days ago, including three children, the Ukrainian health ministry told the Interfax news agency.