Blasts were heard in the capital city hours after a US official warned that Putin's forces were moving to encircle Kyiv
1 min agoKyiv's deputy mayor describes trouble accessing subway station bomb shelterFrom CNN's Ivana Kottasova in KyivA bomb shelter at the Kyiv metro's Polytechnic Institute station was briefly inaccessible to people on Thursday night, the city’s Deputy Mayor Kostiantyn Usov said in a statement on Facebook. Usov described being unable to immediately access the station, which has been serving as a safe place for people to congregate. “I had to knock for about five to seven minutes, loudly enough,” he said. Across Kyiv, red arrows painted on walls indicate the locations of the nearest bomb shelters. The city first put them up after war broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014, but they were recently repainted. (Ivana Kottasova/CNN)The deputy mayor said police decided to close the door following a number of incidents. People who knocked and presented their identification documents were allowed to enter.Usov asked Kyiv’s residents to report any similar incidents. Kyiv's metro system — which has three lines and more than 50 stations — houses a number of bomb shelters, with red arrows painted on walls throughout the city pointing to the nearest one. 20 min agoUkrainian MP as jet planes fly overhead: "Our men and women have died for this freedom"Ukrainian lawmaker Lesia Vasylenko speaks to CNN from Ukraine on February 25 as aircraft fly overhead. (CNN)Ukrainian lawmaker Lesia Vasylenko was urging the international community to give assistance on Friday when she was interrupted by the sound of jets flying overhead."If this continues at the level it is happening now, these air strikes happening, the tanks rolling in, Ukraine will not be able to stand for long against such a massive Russian aggression, and we need assistance," she told CNN from Kyiv. She added that more sanctions are needed, as well as more weapons in Ukraine and the closure of the country's airspace. She paused for a while, glancing out of her window off camera. "I'm sorry ... as we speak, there were several planes flying in the direction of the city. And we know from the President's address just several minutes ago that air strikes are to begin right about now," she said, with a rumbling noise in the background."We are all exhausted from this, because we have helicopters, we have airplanes, fighter jets, flying all around all the time. And every time we hear a noise, it's like looking out of the window, where is it going? Is it going to hit or is it going to miss?"She added that despite the fear, she also felt faith "in the Ukrainian army and in the Ukrainian people.""People here are brave and are not up to giving up their country," she said. "We do not want to live under somebody's rule, whoever it is. We are a free people. We have fought for our freedom. Our men and women have died for this freedom."24 min agoUkraine's President Zelensky says Russia will be forced to talk, thanks Russian protestersFrom CNN's Tim Lister in KyivA person carries a banner during an anti-war protest, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Moscow, Russia February 24. The banner reads "No to war. Freedom to political prisoners". (Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters)In his video message to the Ukrainian people early Friday morning, President Volodymyr Zelensky said "sooner or later, Russia will have to talk to us about ending this military operation, about ending this invasion, and the sooner this conversation begins, the less Russia's losses will be."Striking a defiant note even as Russian forces advance on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, Zelensky said: "We are on our land, we have the truth, they cannot destroy our character. Russian 'Kalibr' missiles are helpless against our freedom."Zelensky also welcomed protests in Russia against the invasion."To all citizens of the Russian Federation who are coming out to protest, I want to say we see you. It means that you heard us," he said.On Thursday, anti-war protesters held small demonstrations across Russia, according to independent media and monitoring organizations — even as they faced arrest and police threatened to disperse crowds by physical force.Russia bars demonstrations without a permit, but Russians may stage individual, single-person protests.As of Thursday evening Moscow time, at least 1,237 people had been detained in at least 44 cities across Russia, independent monitoring group OVD-Info reported. 30 min agoIt's early morning in Kyiv, where residents are waking up to flames and falling debrisFrom CNN's Ivana Kottasova in KyivThe sun rises over Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, on Friday amid Russia's invasion of its former Soviet neighbor. (Jon Steward/CNN)Ukrainians are waking up on Friday morning to the realization that the previous day was not just a bad dream. Their country is being invaded by Russia, their capital city targeted by strikes. A number of loud bangs rang through Kyiv at daybreak and air raid sirens repeatedly sounded on the deserted streets. An apartment building on the left bank of the
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Kyiv's deputy mayor describes trouble accessing subway station bomb shelter
From CNN's Ivana Kottasova in Kyiv
A bomb shelter at the Kyiv metro's Polytechnic Institute station was briefly inaccessible to people on Thursday night, the city’s Deputy Mayor Kostiantyn Usov said in a statement on Facebook.
Usov described being unable to immediately access the station, which has been serving as a safe place for people to congregate.
“I had to knock for about five to seven minutes, loudly enough,” he said.
The deputy mayor said police decided to close the door following a number of incidents. People who knocked and presented their identification documents were allowed to enter.
Usov asked Kyiv’s residents to report any similar incidents.
Kyiv's metro system — which has three lines and more than 50 stations — houses a number of bomb shelters, with red arrows painted on walls throughout the city pointing to the nearest one.
Ukrainian MP as jet planes fly overhead: "Our men and women have died for this freedom"
Ukrainian lawmaker Lesia Vasylenko was urging the international community to give assistance on Friday when she was interrupted by the sound of jets flying overhead.
"If this continues at the level it is happening now, these air strikes happening, the tanks rolling in, Ukraine will not be able to stand for long against such a massive Russian aggression, and we need assistance," she told CNN from Kyiv. She added that more sanctions are needed, as well as more weapons in Ukraine and the closure of the country's airspace.
She paused for a while, glancing out of her window off camera. "I'm sorry ... as we speak, there were several planes flying in the direction of the city. And we know from the President's address just several minutes ago that air strikes are to begin right about now," she said, with a rumbling noise in the background.
"We are all exhausted from this, because we have helicopters, we have airplanes, fighter jets, flying all around all the time. And every time we hear a noise, it's like looking out of the window, where is it going? Is it going to hit or is it going to miss?"
She added that despite the fear, she also felt faith "in the Ukrainian army and in the Ukrainian people."
"People here are brave and are not up to giving up their country," she said. "We do not want to live under somebody's rule, whoever it is. We are a free people. We have fought for our freedom. Our men and women have died for this freedom."
Ukraine's President Zelensky says Russia will be forced to talk, thanks Russian protesters
From CNN's Tim Lister in Kyiv
In his video message to the Ukrainian people early Friday morning, President Volodymyr Zelensky said "sooner or later, Russia will have to talk to us about ending this military operation, about ending this invasion, and the sooner this conversation begins, the less Russia's losses will be."
Striking a defiant note even as Russian forces advance on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, Zelensky said: "We are on our land, we have the truth, they cannot destroy our character. Russian 'Kalibr' missiles are helpless against our freedom."
Zelensky also welcomed protests in Russia against the invasion.
"To all citizens of the Russian Federation who are coming out to protest, I want to say we see you. It means that you heard us," he said.
On Thursday, anti-war protesters held small demonstrations across Russia, according to independent media and monitoring organizations — even as they faced arrest and police threatened to disperse crowds by physical force.
Russia bars demonstrations without a permit, but Russians may stage individual, single-person protests.
As of Thursday evening Moscow time, at least 1,237 people had been detained in at least 44 cities across Russia, independent monitoring group OVD-Info reported.
It's early morning in Kyiv, where residents are waking up to flames and falling debris
From CNN's Ivana Kottasova in Kyiv
Ukrainians are waking up on Friday morning to the realization that the previous day was not just a bad dream. Their country is being invaded by Russia, their capital city targeted by strikes.
A number of loud bangs rang through Kyiv at daybreak and air raid sirens repeatedly sounded on the deserted streets.
An apartment building on the left bank of the city was ablaze overnight after apparently being hit by debris.
In another incident, a Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet was shot down over the capital. Pictures from the emergency services showed a two-story home on fire after fragments of a plane fell on it, although it was unclear if they were from the Su-27 jet.
While an overnight curfew officially lifted at 7 a.m., the city remained eerily quiet with many residents choosing to stay inside. Many others have already escaped Kyiv — the roads heading west of the capital were jam-packed on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said the country’s airborne assault troops blew up a bridge over the Teteriv River at Ivankiv, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Kyiv, in an effort to prevent a column of Russian forces from advancing toward the capital.
While the ministry said the Russian advance was stopped, the information will provide little comfort to the residents sheltering in place in Kyiv.
Ukraine's President urges resistance to invasion, slams allies for "looking on from a distance"
From CNN's Tim Lister and Josh Pennington
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a new video message Friday morning, urging resistance to the Russian invasion and criticizing Ukraine's allies for the second time in just a few hours.
"This morning, we are defending our country alone. Just like yesterday, the most powerful country in the world looked on from a distance," he said in a Facebook video, appearing to refer to the United States.
"Russia was hit with sanctions yesterday, but these are not enough to get these foreign troops off our soil. Only through solidarity and determination can this be achieved."
Zelensky added that the Ukrainian people are continuing to resist, "demonstrating real heroism. The enemy was stopped in most of the directions. There are fights going on ... We will not tire."
"All out war": Zelensky opened his short address by saying it was the "second morning of the all-out war."
At 4 a.m., Russian forces continued to launch missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine. They say that they are only targeting military facilities, but these are lies. In fact, they do not distinguish in which areas they operate," Zelensky said.
"In the sky over Kyiv (this morning), there was bombing. There was a fire at a residential apartment building. Such attacks on our capital haven’t occurred since 1941."
Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a tweet Friday morning that three people were injured, one of whom is in critical condition “as a result of a wreckage from a rocket hitting residential building 7-A on Koshitsya Street.”
Ukrainian fighter jet shot down over Kyiv, Ukraine's interior ministry says
From CNN's Matthew Chance in Kyiv
A Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet was shot down over the capital, Kyiv, early Friday, according to Ukrainian Deputy Interior Minister Evgeny Yenin.
Photos tweeted by the Ukrainian emergency forces appear to show a fire at a two-story house after fragments of a plane fell on it. It's unclear if those are the remnants of the Su-27 jet.
As the sun rises, Ukrainians wake up to sound of explosions and air raid sirens
As morning arrived in Ukraine on Friday, residents in some cities awoke to the sounds of air raid sirens and explosions.
In the capital, Kyiv, CNN teams on the ground reported hearing blasts during the early hours, then again as dawn broke.
Reporters in both Kyiv and Lviv, located in the west of the country, said they heard air raid sirens continue for several minutes.
CNN teams did not see incoming fire.
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Ukrainian Defense Ministry says they've blown up a bridge to hinder Russian advance on Kyiv
From CNN's Tim Lister in Kyiv
Ukraine's Defense Ministry says airborne assault troops have blown up a bridge over the Teteriv River at Ivankiv, located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Kyiv, in an effort to prevent a Russian column of forces from advancing toward the capital.
The ministry said the Russian advance was stopped.
Earlier Friday morning, top US officials estimated that Russian forces which entered Ukraine through the Belarus border were only about 32 kilometers (20 miles) from the capital.
Analysis: Biden wages first showdown of new Cold War-style duel with Russia
Analysis from CNN's Stephen Collinson
Punishing sanctions were never going to stop Russian missiles, tanks and bombs. But the Biden administration hopes they offer an early edge in the first showdown of a new and dangerous 21st century coda to the Cold War.
Hours after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, the US drew battle lines for what is sure to be a bitter standoff with the Kremlin likely to last at least until President Joe Biden or Russian President Vladimir Putin leaves power.
Harsh sanctions: The US leader vowed on Thursday to make Putin a "pariah" by isolating Russian banks, punishing his rich cronies, supporting Ukrainians and containing the Kremlin's attempt to roll back the outcome of the last generational Washington-Moscow struggle, which brought democracy to Eastern Europe.
While Russia seeks to clamp down on Ukraine, biting sanctions are sure to trigger a reaction that will escalate the confrontation between the Russian leader and the West.
Referring to the impact of economic warfare, James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, told CNN: "I rather doubt Putin will sit still for that," predicting he could seek to inflict pain on the US, for instance, with cyberattacks.
The Ukrainian people: A third factor will also dictate this first chapter of the new US-Russia showdown — the capacity of the Ukrainian people to resist invasion, a possible occupation and what could turn out to be puppet pro-Moscow leaders.
A related question of whether the United States should send arms to support a rebellion against Moscow is about to become a hot political issue in Washington.
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