Russia-Ukraine updates: US to ban Russian carriers from its airspace

Ukrainian military officials on Saturday said Russia’s attempt to encircle Kyiv has been slowed after two days of resistance by Ukrainian forces.

“The units of the Russian occupiers are losing their offensive tempo, they are expecting additional units to join the fight and are forced to stop to replenish supplies,” the statement from the general staff read.

Officials said Russia’s goal is to try to impose “demilitarization” on Ukraine by blockading the capital and forcing Ukraine’s political leadership to “change its political course on Russian terms.”

The statement said seven Russian battalion tactical groups, totalling 4,000 to 7,000 troops, have tried to push into Kyiv from the northwest and north, but have been forced to regroup.

A main force of around 8,000 to 14,000 Russian troops is trying to also push down from the northeast of the city, but have so far been stopped by Ukraine’s forces, officials said. In total, Russia sent in 17 battalion tactical groups from the northeast, totalling up to 17,000 troops, Ukraine said.

The statement said Russia also tried to land paratroopers at an airbase in Vassylkiv, a town about 20 miles south of Kyiv, but that the airborne units had been killed. Ukraine has said it shot down two IL-76 transport planes with paratroopers onboard last night. 

In Kyiv on Saturday, fighting was taking place in a northwestern suburb, near the Beresteiska subway station, about 4 miles from the central Maidan square. Occasional booms and the sound of intense gunfire could be heard in some areas. 

Ukrainian officials have said the Russian troops in the city are special forces and advance units, with the main force of tanks and artillery still further away. Shelling was reported near the town of Dymer, about 20 miles north of Kyiv.

Ukraine’s general staff says Russia has not had success “in any direction.” meaning they have not yet succeeded in taking any cities across the country. 

Russia has claimed to have captured the southern city of Melitopol.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Russia’s media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, told 10 media outlets to remove content that described the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a war.

The notifications were “necessary to restrict access to false information” from the 10 outlets, Roskomnadzor said on Saturday.

The outlets published "false socially important information which is not true about the attacks of Ukrainian cities by the Russian Armed Forces and deaths of civilians in Ukraine as a result of the actions of the Russian army, as well as materials describing the operation as an attack, invasion or a war," the watchdog said.

-ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova

A residential building in Kyiv was damaged overnight, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Saturday. 

“Kyiv, our splendid, peaceful city, survived another night under attacks by Russian ground forces, missiles,” Kuleba said on Twitter. “One of them has hit a residential apartment in Kyiv.”

Kuleba added: “I demand the world: fully isolate Russia, expel ambassadors, oil embargo, ruin its economy. Stop Russian war criminals!”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a new video from the capital, Kyiv, on Saturday morning, saying Ukrainians "won’t lay down weapons, we will defend our country.” 

“Good morning everyone, Ukrainians! There are a lot of fakes circulating that I’m calling upon to lay down weapons and evacuation is under way. Here’s the situation. I’m here,” Zelenskyy said in the video, using his official residence as a background. “We won’t lay down weapons, we will defend our country. Because our weapon is our truth. The truth is that it’s our land, our country, our children. And we will defend all of it. This is it. This is what I wanted to tell you. Glory to Ukraine!”

Zelenskyy in a separate tweet said he spoke on Saturday to French President Emmanuel Macron, marking a “new day in the diplomatic frontline.” 

“Weapons and equipment from our partners are on the way to Ukraine,” he said. “The anti-war coalition is working!”

-ABC News’ Katie den Daas and Julia Drozd