Kyiv: Early Saturday, Russian troops attacked Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, sparking street fighting as municipal officials warned citizens to seek shelter. The country's president turned down an American invitation to flee, insisting on staying. "The battle has begun," he declared.

The battles came after two days of fighting in which hundreds of people were killed and bridges, schools, and apartment buildings were destroyed. US authorities  said, Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to overthrow Ukraine's government and replacing it with his own administration.

Putin's assault was his most daring attempt yet to remake the geopolitical map and reassert Moscow's Cold War-era clout. It sparked increased international efforts to stop the invasion, including sanctions on Putin directly. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for a cease-fire and warned that many cities were under attack as his country faced explosions and gunfire and the destiny of Kyiv hung in the balance. "We have to stand firm this night," he said. "Ukraine's fate is being decided right now."

According to a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the matter, Zelenskyy was advised by the US government to leave Kyiv, but he declined. "The struggle is here," the President said, according to the official "as well as the fact that he required anti-tank weapons but "not a ride."

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