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Ukraine’s capital was rocked by explosions and the sound of air-raid sirens early Friday, on the second day of a Russian advance that left residents and leaders bracing for the city to be overrun.
Ukraine said that hundreds of Russian troops were killed and injured as they bore down on Kyiv — with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling on Western governments to take stronger action against Russia and anyone with military experience in Europe to help defend the country's independence.
Russia is meeting "greater resistance" from the Ukrainians than they might have expected, a senior U.S. defense official told NBC News on Friday. "They are fighting for their country," the official said, referring to Ukrainian troops and freedom fighters.
Zelenskyy said that at least 137 people had been killed and 316 injured after Russia launched its invasion Thursday, attacking key cities and taking control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
Follow our in-depth coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis here.
Pope calls for weapons to be 'silenced,' urges support for those fleeing Ukraine
Pope Francis called for weapons to be "silenced" in Ukraine Sunday, and he urged the international community to support those fleeing the country.
"God is with the peacemakers, not with those who use violence," he said during the Sunday Angelus, according to Vatican News, an outlet officially affiliated with the Catholic Church.
He also condemned the "diabolical and perverse logic of weapons."
Francis said those fleeing Ukraine were "brothers and sisters for whom it is urgent to open humanitarian corridors and who must be welcomed, with an aching heart, for what is happening in Ukraine."
The pontiff also reminded people not to forget about the conflicts unfolding elsewhere in the world, pointing to conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Ethiopia.
Ukrainian ambassador to U.S. accuses Russia of war crimes
Russia has committed war crimes, taken civilians hostage and attacked an orphanage with 50 children inside, Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, said at a press conference Friday.
"The Russian propaganda machine says that civilians were not targeted. I want to tell you that is not true," she said, claiming that Russian rockets hit residential areas and ambulances, injured children and destroyed strategic gas pipelines.
She said that Ukrainian armed forces are keeping the situation under control, claiming that 2,800 Russians were dead in the conflict and that 80 Russian tanks, 10 planes and seven helicopters had been destroyed.
NBC News has not confirmed the numbers of any injuries or deaths on either side.
The ambassador also raised concerns about the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which remains irradiated and a key storage facility for atomic waste after the infamous 1986 meltdown. The Russians seized control and took 92 hostages, she said, forcing them to work in shifts that do not comply with international regulations.
"All responsibility now lies with the Russian army," she said regarding the continued maintenance of Chernobyl.
Markarova noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Joe Biden had another call Friday to discuss an anti-war coalition that included 73 countries, "working hand in hand," though she said those countries should also work to further defend Ukraine from Russian attacks.
While she applauded the sanctions the U.S. and other countries have announced on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, she said the sanctions on Russia should go further to fully "exclude it" from the international financial system.
The press conference concluded with Markarova thanking Russians who had "protested against Putin's attack on Ukraine."
"We would like to say, we see you, and it gives us hope that there are forces in Russia that don’t support a brutal attack on this nation," she said.
Russian offensive unexpectedly slowed by stiff Ukrainian resistance
Two days in, the Russian offensive appeared to be stymied by stiffer-than-expected resistance from highly motivated Ukrainian armed forces.
Despite an overwhelming advantage in manpower and equipment, the Russian advance lost some of its momentum Friday and the quick victory Russian President Vladimir Putin was counting on is no longer assured, a senior United States defense official told NBC News.
"We do assess that there is greater resistance by the Ukrainians than the Russians expected," the official said. “They are fighting for their country.”
Biden, in call to Zelenskyy, praises 'the brave actions of the Ukrainian people'
President Joe Biden touched base with his counterpart in Ukraine on Friday, commending "the brave actions of the Ukrainian people" in the face of Russia's onslaught.
After conferring with NATO allies over the current conflict, Biden said he reached out to Volodymyr Zelenskyy to praise his nation's resistance against invaders.
"Immediately after the NATO Summit, I spoke with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. I commended the brave actions of the Ukrainian people who were fighting to defend their country," according to a White House statement. "I also conveyed ongoing economic, humanitarian, and security support being provided by the United States as well as our continued efforts to rally other countries to provide similar assistance."
White House will directly sanction Putin
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Friday it would join the European Union in directly sanctioning President Vladimir Putin, as Russian forces continued a brutal invasion of Ukraine, threatening to take over the capital city of Kyiv.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that following a conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the U.S. would join European allies in sanctioning Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other members of the Russian national security team.
The Biden administration has been ratcheting up sanctions against Moscow over the past few days, working in coordination with European allies to take unprecedented measures in hopes of deterring Putin from launching a wide-scale attack against Ukraine.
But those efforts appeared to have done little to keep Putin from pushing Russian forces further into Ukraine on Friday, as Kyiv was rocked by explosions and the sound of air raid sirens.
Ukrainian defense minister urges Russian citizens to protest invasion
Ukraine's defense minister on Friday urged Russian citizens to "come to the streets" and protest Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion.
Oleksii Reznikov pleaded with Russians to oppose the war and act in self-interest by saving the lives of those in uniform.
He specifically addressed "the wives, mothers, girlfriends of Russian soldiers and officers."
"In a few days of intervention in Ukraine, as many Russian troops will be destroyed as in two Chechen wars. Thousands. Thousands," Reznikov wrote on Facebook. "The ruler of Russia has become a murderer. Not only the murderer of Ukrainians, but also Russians."
Reznikov celebrated his military's work so far in opposing the Russian invaders.
"Ukrainians are now fighting for the future they have long deserved. Both our own and for the whole Europe," he wrote. "We will definitely win!"
A growing number of cultural, sports institutions cut ties with Russia
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed several cultural and sports institutions to take a stand. Eurovision banned Russia from its competition, Manchester United severed its sponsorship deal with the Russian airline Aeroflot, and the German soccer club Schalke removed the logo of its main sponsor, the Russian state-owned energy powerhouse Gazprom, from player jerseys.
“Given our norms today, [the invasion] is such a gross violation of what we see as our humanity that we’re going to react that way," said Matthew Schmidt, a professor of national security and political science at the University of New Haven, who specializes in Russian affairs.
Some Russian athletes joined in reacting to the country's invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow-born tennis star Andrey Rublev scrawling "No war please" on the lens of a camera at a tennis competition in Dubai.
NATO deploys elements of Response Force for first time for collective defense
NATO has deployed elements of its Response Force for the first time for collective defense, Gen. Tod Wolters, the commander of the U.S. European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said Friday.
“These deterrence measures are prudent and enhance our speed, responsiveness and capability to shield and protect the one billion citizens we swore to protect,” he said in a statement.
“This is an historic moment and the very first time the Alliance has employed these high readiness forces in a deterrence and defense role. They represent a flexible, combat credible force that can be employed in multiple ways and we are utilizing fully their inherent agility,” he said.
“Your soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines stand ready to protect every meter of Allied territory,” he added.
Biden, Zelenskyy hold phone call as Russian troops attempt to enter Kyiv
President Joe Biden held a secure call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday as his administration warned that the capital city, Kyiv, could soon fall to Russia.
The White House said that the two leaders spoke for roughly 40 minutes, with the call ending at 12:32 p.m. ET.
Zelenskyy, who remains in Ukraine, has been urging Western governments to do more to help his country. In a video address Friday, he said he was Russia's "No. 1 target."
Earlier Friday, Biden held a virtual meeting with NATO leaders to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
Biden has given several speeches on Ukraine over the past few days, but he did not have any planned remarks regarding the situation on his public schedule for Friday.