Ukraine's Zelenskiy says Ukraine still in control of Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that the capital Kyiv was still under Ukrainian control after Russia launched an invasion on Thursday.

"We have withstood and are successfully repelling enemy attacks. The fighting goes on," he said in a video message posted on his social media.

"We already have almost full support from EU countries for disconnecting Russia from SWIFT. I hope that Germany and Hungary will have the courage to support this decision. We have the courage to defend our homeland, to defend Europe," Zelenskiy added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that the capital Kyiv was still under Ukrainian control after Russia launched an invasion on Thursday, reports Reuters. 

"We have withstood and are successfully repelling enemy attacks. The fighting goes on," he said in a video message posted on his social media.

"We already have almost full support from EU countries for disconnecting Russia from SWIFT. I hope that Germany and Hungary will have the courage to support this decision. We have the courage to defend our homeland, to defend Europe," Zelenskiy added.

In the final section of his speech, he said: "Please stop those who are lying, or trying to lie to you, or lying to us. We need to stop this war. We can live in peace together, globally as humans.

"Our military, our national guard, our national police, our territory defence, special service, nationals of Ukraine, please carry on. We will win. Glory to Ukraine."

Zelenskiy said: "We are successfully holding back the enemies attacks. We know we are defending our land and the future of our children. Kyiv and the key areas are controlled by our army.

"The occupiers wanted to set up their puppet in our capital. They didn't succeed. On our streets, there was a proper fight going on.

The enemy was using all its weapons, artillery, paratroops, all its weapons. They are hitting residential areas, they are trying to destroy energy infrastructure, and everyone should help us to stop this occupation."

He said that after discussions with EU leaders in recent days, including over shutting Russia out of the Swift payments system (see 9:28), he believed Ukraine should become part of the EU and its citizens should have the same rights.

"Ukrainian people deserve to become members of the EU. And this would be a signal of your support to Ukraine. This discussion should be closed.

"We discussed this today with the European leaders. All the equipment and defence military help is coming to Ukraine and work is going on to disconnecting Russia from Swift. I hope that Hungary will be forced to support this decision."

He asked for people who could come back to Ukraine to fight, to do so: "In every hour and place, city, and town and person ... everywhere where the enemy is killing our people, our armed forces are doing everything they can to destroy the enemy.

"Those cities and town that are being attacked from the air are holding up, well done. If you can destroy the occupiers, please do. Everyone who can come back to Ukraine, please do, please come back.

"We will have a lot of work to do to rebuild our Ukraine. Everyone who can defend it abroad, 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. It will be announced very shortly, how this can be done. Everyone who is defending Ukraine is a hero."

He issued another plea to Russian people to help stop the war by putting pressure on Vladimir Putin and his government. Anti-war protesters have been arrested in recent days in Moscow and St Petersberg.

"I want everyone in Russia to hear me. Everybody. Hundreds of captured soldiers who are here in Ukraine don't know why they were sent here to kill people or be killed. People need to tell the government why the war has to be stopped, more people from your country will stay alive.

"Your nationals are voicing their opposition to this war. We know many people in Russia are shocked now by the brutality of the Russian government, this is the right reaction, I am grateful to this reaction."