Russia-Ukraine latest news: fighting on the streets of Kyiv; Zelenskiy vows ‘we won’t lay down our arms’ | World news

A UK government armed forces junior minister said Russia has failed to achieve its initial objectives – and fighting outside Kyiv was limited to Russian special forces units.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, James Heappey said that aims to take key Ukrainian cities had not been successful. He added that the UK did not believe Russian claims that it had taken the south eastern city of Melitopol.

“The Ukrainian resistance to the Russian advance appears extraordinary. All of Russia’s Day One objectives of Kharkiv, Kherson , Mariupol, Sumy and even Melitopol, which the Russians are claiming to taken but we can’t see anything on that, are still all in Ukrainian hands.

“The fighting on the outskirts of Kyiv overnight, we understand to just be Russian…