Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed his troops for their courage as they press their offensive across Ukraine and bear down on Kyiv.
Speaking during Friday’s meeting of his Security Council, Putin claimed that most Ukrainian military units are reluctant to engage to the Russian forces.
He said the units offering resistance are mostly volunteer battalions made up of right-wing Ukrainian nationalists.
He offered no evidence for his claims, which could not be independently verified.
Echoing an earlier Russian military statement, Putin accused Ukrainian forces of deploying heavy weapons in urban areas in several big cities, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, to use civilians as shields.
The Russian president urged the Ukrainian military to end their resistance and turn on their leaders.
