The summary of the second day of Ukraine’s defense against Russia. The night is expected to be even harder

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that this night will be very difficult and the enemy will use all available forces to break the resistance of Ukrainians.

"Tonight the enemy will use all their forces to break our resistance – vile, cruel, and inhumane. This night they will assault. We must all understand what awaits us. This night we must endure. The fate of Ukraine is decided now ", – the President reports.

According to Zelenskyy, this night will be harder than the day.

"Many cities of our state are under attack. Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, our boys and girls in the Donbas, the cities of southern Ukraine. Kyiv is under special attention. The capital cannot be lost," he said.

The President said that every civilian should be as careful as possible, and everyone who can help the defense should stop the enemy wherever possible.

"If even kindergartens are acceptable targets for the invaders, you should not leave them any chance", Zelenskyy said.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Vasyl Zaluzhny also spoke about the results of the second day of Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion.

"Our air defense forces are demonstrating profound military prowess, destroying modern enemy planes and helicopters, shooting down cruise missiles in the sky. It means hundreds of lives saved. Thank you to the Ground Forces, Special Operations Forces, Airborne-Assault Troops, Air Force, Navy, Border Guard, National Guard, National Police, State Security Service, Territorial Defense, State Emergency Service for digging into our land and turning it into a hell for the invader.

The enemy did not achieve their previously set strategic goals. His strength is weakening. We are getting stronger every hour! The plan of action is simple: you see, you can – destroy! You can't – give us the location of the enemy! "- said the Commander-in-Chief on his Facebook page. 

So far, Russian troops have failed to capture any regional center of Ukraine. Chernihiv and Sumy gave heavy fighting to the invaders. Near Kharkiv, according to the regional state administration, more than 150 units of armored vehicles were destroyed, and at one point the enemy simply fled towards the border. The situation in Kherson is difficult, but the city is still under Ukrainian control. In the area of Joint Forces Operation, the enemy is unable to break through our positions, Ukrainian units even performed some counterattacks.

Air defense systems operate in the air of Ukrainian cities. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues to cause damage to the enemy – the pilot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who destroyed 6 enemy planes in 30 hours, was especially noted. He has already been nicknamed the "Ghost of Kyiv". According to the latest data, the enemy continues to lose aircrafts in various regions of Ukraine. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, IL-76 with a Russian landing party was shot down near Vasylkiv.

Ukraine has declared its readiness for negotiations and a peaceful settlement. Earlier in the day, Russia's foreign ministry said talks would begin when the Ukrainian Armed Forces lay down their arms. Putin called on the Ukrainian military to "take power" because "it will be easier to negotiate with them than with this gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis." During the day, Russia made several manipulative statements about Ukraine's unwillingness to participate in a peace settlement. According to the latest reports from the Office of the President of Ukraine, the parties are currently discussing the time and place of possible talks. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the Office of the President, said that during the talks, Ukraine's neutral status can be "an option that may also be on the table."

The world is tightening sanctions against Russia. The United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the EU have imposed sanctions personally on Putin, Lavrov, Shoigu, and other high-ranking officials. Putin became the third leader of the country after Assad and Lukashenko who fell under US personal sanctions. Additional sanctions are imposed on Russian companies. Currently, in addition to those already announced yesterday, sanctions were imposed on the "Progress" rocket and space complex and the "Su-" aircraft manufacturer (most likely, the Gagarin "KnAAZ").