Russia-Ukraine War: Zelensky taken to bunker as Russian troops approach Kiev, say reports

Not even a day after President Vladimir Putin announced Russia's military operation in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was reportedly taken to a bunker on Friday. The Ukrainian President was taken to a bunker after Russia launched a full-blown attack on Ukraine, with Russian forces entering the Obolon district, which is less than 10 km away from Central Kyiv. The Ukraine forces are said to be putting up a tough fight against their Russian counterparts in the region

Russia ready to negotiate 'if Ukraine lays down arms' 

The reports have started surfacing moments after  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that they would be willing to resume negotiation through diplomatic channels if Ukraine's army agrees to lay down arms, during a press conference. 

In the press conference that was held post-meeting with the recently declared independent states- Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Luhansk People's Republic VN Deinego and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Donetsk People's Republic SS Peresada, Lavrov blamed the Ukraine administration for 'hiding the true facts'. 

"We suggested talking about security guarantee last December with Zelenskyy. We want to have joint talks and make joint efforts to look forward to a joint security guarantee. He is well aware of the facts involving Ukraine, and should not pass on the blame at Russia," Lavrov said. 

The Russian Foreign Minister added, "No media covered what happened during the engagement line. The journalists are showing how destruction is happening, women and children are being killed... What could be the result of all that is happening? We want independent Ukraine, we don't want Ukraine to be run from abroad... We have suffered too much from Nazism as has Ukraine."

Russia invades Ukraine 

For weeks, Moscow massed over 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders in a bid to pressurise Western nations to not allow Ukraine to join NATO, threatening an invasion. On Thursday, Putin ordered a special military operation in Ukraine's Donbas region, which quickly accelerated into precision airstrikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, deployed tanks towards Lviv from the Belarus-Ukraine border. The Russian Navy is attacking from the shores of Mariupol and Odessa and troops have taken over Chernobyl nuclear plant, heading towards Kyiv.  

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been dealt with a heavy hand by the western powers. The US has levied sanctions on Russian banks, limited international trade with Moscow, froze assets of Putin's inner circle. While the US has refused to step foot into Ukraine, it has sent over 12,000 people to Europe. Similar sanctions have been levied on Belarus for aiding Russian troops to attack Ukraine. Australia, Germany, Taiwan, France, Germany, EU, Japan have also levied financial, trade, diplomatic sanctions on Russia.