(John Ransom, Headline USA) Russian President Vladimir Putin has communicated a set of surrender term to the Ukraine government said Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, according to Moscow-run news service RT.com.
“According to Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his preparedness to engage in discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart, with a focus on obtaining a guarantee of neutral status and the promise of no weapons on its territory,” said RT.
The terms include “demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine” said RT, to eliminate what Moscow calls a “threat to the security of its state and people.”
But thus far, Ukrainian forces seem disinclined to surrender.
“I think we must fight all those who invade our country so strongly,” one man stuck in traffic trying to leave Kyiv told Reuters “I would hang every single one of them from bridges.”
Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian government announced that 13 soldiers defending the border on Snake Island had been killed by Russian forces after denouncing Russian attempts to get them to surrender.
“This is Russian military warship. I suggest you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and needless casualties. Otherwise, you will be bombed,” said the Russian forces, according to the Daily Mail.
To which threat one soldier replied: “Go f**k yourselves!”
Video later showed the final moments of the soldiers before being hit with rocket attack. Russian forces claim that none of the soldiers on Snake Island died and are in custody after laying down their arms.
The rocket attacks were copied all over Ukraine, said Reuters, which estimated that 100,000 Ukrainians have fled their homes.
Video collected by ordinary citizens and hosted on Radio Free Europe show multiple missile strikes around the county.
“Some 57 people were killed and 169 were wounded on Thursday, Ukraine’s health minister said,” according to Reuters.
Russian forces are said to closing in on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, although India Today has reported that Ukraine forces are putting up “a brave fight.”
“The Russian invasion, which started on Thursday morning, has witnessed resistance from Ukrainian forces as they took on the might of Russian forces enclosing the country from north, south and east,” said India Today.
Ukraine has claimed to have downed at least five Russian jets and one helicopter in the fighting, although Moscow said it has completely eliminated Ukraine’s air defenses, said the UK’s Independent.
Ukraine lost control of the area around the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the north, but regained control of the Hostomel Airport after Russian paratroopers tried to seize it early in the invasion according to the aviation site AirLive.com.
“At least 15 Russian helicopters were part of Kyiv Hostomel Airport attack, the home base of Antonov company,” said AirLive.
The airport is considered a key staging area for the Russian occupation of Kyiv, denial of which will forestall a Russian victory.