Explosions heard in Kyiv as Ukrainian president says ‘enemy sabotage groups’ have entered capital

Senior U.S. government officials believe Ukraine’s capital could fall quickly to advancing Russian forces, according to details of a phone call they had with congressional lawmakers Thursday evening.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were among those on the call.

The Kremlin’s mechanized forces deployed from Belarus were closing in on Kyiv, lawmakers were told. Axios first reported on Austin’s briefing.

The Pentagon is looking for ways to continue training Ukrainian soldiers even if the government in Kyiv falls, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), who chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, told The Washington Post after attending the briefing.

The European Union approved a second round of sanctions on Russia Friday, joining the United States and other allies in targeting the country’s economy over its attack on Ukraine.

The package takes aim at a range of sectors including finance, transport and energy. It imposes export controls, includes new visa measures and adds more Russians to a sanctions list.

“The package of massive and targeted sanctions European leaders approved tonight clearly demonstrates that it will have maximum impact on the Russian economy and the political elite," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a news conference early Friday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview Thursday evening that he is “convinced” Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to overthrow the Ukrainian government.

Russia is targeting Kyiv, the seat of the Ukrainian government, an effort U.S. officials have anticipated, Blinken told David Muir on ABC’s “World News Tonight.” Blinken estimated that Putin had planned the strike “for a long time.”

Referring to Article 5 of the NATO pact guaranteeing mutual defense of its members, Blinken told NBC host Lester Holt that allies were prepared to deter Russian aggression on NATO’s eastern flank, although Blinken said he believed the Russian president’s ambitions were in Kyiv.

The United States is prepared to accept Ukrainian refugees fleeing the ongoing Russian invasion that could displace millions, the White House said.

A majority of those leaving the country under fire will probably seek asylum in neighboring European countries, press secretary Jen Psaki said during media Thursday’s briefing, adding that the administration was working with countries accepting an influx of Ukrainians.

Poland, for instance, is expected to receive 1 million people arriving from Ukraine. As of Thursday, Moldova and other nations had set up centers to provide assistance to those crossing their borders.

Russian forces on Thursday captured Ukraine’s Snake Island, killing all of the service members defending the territory in the northwestern Black Sea, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Also known as Zmiinyi, the tiny, rocky landmass — of some 42 acres — lies some 185 miles west of Crimea, to the country’s south. With fewer than 100 inhabitants, the island marks Ukraine’s territorial waters — giving it a strategic role within the Black Sea by connecting the shipping corridor to the Ukrainian port cities of Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson.

MOSCOW — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Ukrainians in a video address that he was remaining in the government headquarters in Kyiv, the nation’s capital, even though enemy saboteurs had entered the city and “according to our information, the enemy has identified me as the number one target.”

“They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state,” Zelensky said in a video address in the early hours of the morning. His family, he said, was the No. 2 target, but they also remained in Ukraine.

In the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest and a mere 25 miles from the Russian border, hundreds of residents huddled together in underground metro stations. Russian artillery sporadically thundered above.

Kharkiv was long considered a likely target for the Russians because of the city’s proximity to the border and its majority Russian-speaking population. But some people were still confused by the sound of blasts in the morning.

Inside one subway station, people lined the walls and sat along the stairwell. Trains sat on both sides of the platform with the doors open. People unrolled yoga mats and blankets on the floor. Children played games on phones while adults refreshed the latest news. Some people had strollers, suitcases and pets with them. Others had very few belongings.

Thousands of soldiers from an armored brigade combat team based at Fort Stewart in Georgia will deploy to Europe after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, defense officials said Thursday.

The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, is expected to deploy to Germany, as the Pentagon sends other U.S. troops to Eastern Europe to bolster security there, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements. The unit includes tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, logistics and engineering, among other capabilities.