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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky debunked Russian propaganda that he has fled the capital Kyiv by defiantly posting a video of him and his team standing out on the city streets at night.
Zelensky said in a video on Friday, Feb. 25 (Ukrainian time) that he and his team were still in Kyiv as the capital came under assault by the Russian military invaders and could fall into their hands in a matter of hours.
“We are here. We are in Kyiv,” said Zelensky in the video, which was posted on Twitter.
It effectively ended rumours he had left the country leaderless.
He added: “We are here. We are defending Ukraine.”
The four other people with the president are his cabinet members, whom Zelensky names one by one.
They are all on Bankova Street, standing right outside the Ukrainian Presidential Administration Building.
He closed the brief statement with the traditional "Slava Ukraini", which means "Glory to the Ukraine".
Earlier in the day, in a national address, Zelensky vowed to stay in the capital to defend it till the end.
Zelensky's mood on camera appeared less dire than his prognosis just hours before when he reportedly conveyed to European Union leaders during a video call on Thursday night that “this might be the last time you see me alive”.
The video comes as there was uncertainty over Zelensky’s whereabouts on the second day of Russia's invasion.
What could happen if and when Kyiv falls
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