Decisive hours Explosions in Kyiv and Russia fail to control the city of Irbin

The Ukrainian president said that the next 24 hours will be critical for Ukraine, with the intensification of the Russian siege on the capital, Kyiv, while the Ukrainian army announced that Russia had failed to control the city of "Erbin" near the capital.

A British government spokesman said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson by phone on Sunday that the next 24 hours would be critical for Ukraine.

In a statement, the spokesman added that Johnson said the UK and its allies would do everything in their power to ensure defense aid reaches Ukraine.

In an interview with the newspaper Sunday after a grueling night of Russian attacks on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko was silent for several seconds when asked if the evacuation of civilians had plans if Russian forces were able to take Kyiv.

Finally, he said, “We can't do that because all the roads are blocked. Now we are surrounded.”

Ukraine's State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection said explosions were heard in the capital and in the city of Kharkiv on Monday morning.

The service added in a brief statement on the Telegram application that Kyiv witnessed a state of calm for a few hours before the explosions were heard.

It said in a separate statement that a residential building caught fire in the city of Chernev in northern Ukraine after it was hit by a missile.

The Ukrainian Ground Forces Command said on Facebook that the city of Zotimer, in northern Ukraine, was attacked by missiles during the night.

Russia failed to seize Erbin

On the other hand, the Ukrainian General Staff announced the failure of the Russian forces to control the city of Irbin, near the capital, Kyiv.

"The Russian forces will continue their ground and air military offensive against Ukraine," the Ukrainian staff confirmed in a statement early Monday.

She stated that the Russian forces continue to target civilian and military airports, military command centers, air defense systems, infrastructure and residential areas.

"The Ukrainian Air Force repelled the invading air forces, as well as strengthening the defense forces in the capital, Kyiv," the statement said.

It should be noted that the city of Erbin, near the Hostomil military base, is only 25 kilometers from the center of the capital, Kyiv.

At dawn on Thursday, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, which was followed by angry reactions from several countries and calls for tougher sanctions against Moscow.