Zelensky says 'enemy sabotage groups have entered Kyiv' and that he is 'number one target'
- Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a defiant second speech on Thursday night.
- He said that enemy forces had entered the capital and that he and his family were the prime targets.
In his second video address on Thursday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "enemy sabotage groups" entered Kyiv, and that he plans to remain, despite being Russia's "number one target."
"According to preliminary data, unfortunately, we have lost 137 of our heroes today — our citizens. Ten of them are officers," Zelensky said in his address. "316 are wounded."
He added that after Ukrainian and Russian forces fought for hours on Thursday over a critical airfield in Hostomel on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukrainian forces had beat back Russian troops.
"They defended almost the entire territory of Ukraine, which suffered direct blows," he said. "They regain the one that the enemy managed to occupy. For example, Hostomel near Kyiv. This gives more confidence to the capital."
He used the opportunity to dispel rumors that he had fled Kyiv, and that his family had left the country.
"I stay in the capital, I stay with my people. During the day, I held dozens of international talks, directly managed our country. And I will stay in the capital," he said. "My family is also in Ukraine. My children are also in Ukraine. My family is not traitors. They are the citizens of Ukraine. But I have no right to say where they are now."
Zelensky added that, "the enemy marked me as the number one target," and that his family "is the number two target."
"They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the Head of State," he said. "We also have information that enemy sabotage groups have entered Kyiv. That's why I am asking Kyivites very much: be careful, follow the rules of curfew."
Zelensky also lamented elements of NATO's response so far to Russia's military attacks, saying Ukrainians were "left alone in defense of our state."
"Today, I asked the twenty-seven leaders of Europe whether Ukraine will be in NATO. I asked directly. Everyone is afraid. They do not answer," he said.
Zelensky finished his speech by calling for an end to the war.
"We need to talk about the end of this invasion," he said. "We need to talk about a ceasefire."
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.
Around 5 a.m. Kyiv time on Thursday, as members of the United Nations Security Council called on Putin to de-escalate in an emergency session, he simultaneously launched a "special military operation," effectively declaring war on Ukraine in a televised address.