The mayor of Kyiv has mentioned that town has assets for "possibly two weeks" as Russian forces encircle the Ukrainian capital.

Vitali Klitschko known as for his countrymen to "defend our future" towards Russian President Vladimir Putin's military because the battle entered its 14th day on Wednesday.

"Kyiv proper now has assets for I assume per week, or possibly two weeks if Russians encircle Kyiv," Klitschko mentioned throughout an look on CNN.

Klitschko, who has been visiting protection posts of the Ukrainian army, confirmed that Ukrainian troopers "destroyed" some Russian makes an attempt to take management of town and have managed to defend the capital for the previous two weeks.

"I inform individuals we by no means quit, as a result of it is our land, it is our metropolis, it is our household. We defend our future," Klitschko mentioned. "The rationale of the battle, from the Russian facet, is definitely mindless. The rationale Putin does this battle is as a result of we need to be a democratic European nation and Putin needs to rebuild the Russian empire," he mentioned.

"With out Ukraine, it is troublesome to do it. It is his dream to rebuild the Soviet Union. We have been within the USSR and do not need to return to the USSR," he mentioned.

Klitschko's information look comes as Russia's Protection Ministry says it has disabled most of Ukraine's air defenses, leaving the nation unable to defend towards Russian fighter jets. At a daily briefing hosted by the Pentagon on Tuesday, a U.S. protection official mentioned Ukraine's airspace remained contested by either side.

Comply with Newsweek's dwell weblog for updates on the Russia-Ukraine battle.

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Vitali Klitschko
Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Ukraine's capital on March 6, 2022. Klitschko informed CNN on March 9, 2022, that town had provides to final one other two weeks.GENYA SAVILOV/AFP by way of Getty Pictures