Ukraine's president posts defiant video with top government leaders, saying 'we are all here' in the streets of besieged Kyiv

• Ukraine's Zelensky posted a defiant video on Friday, apparently from the streets of besieged Kyiv.
• "We're in here. We are in Kyiv. We defend Ukraine," he said in a Facebook post with the video.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a defiant video on Friday, apparently from streets of besieged Kyiv, with top government leaders.

"We are all here," he said in a video posted on his Facebook page alongside the words: "We're in here. We are in Kyiv. We defend Ukraine."

Zelensky said he was with Ukraine's prime minister, presidential advisor, and head of the president's office.

"Our military are here, our citizens and society are here. We are all here defending our independence, our state, and this is how it's going to be," he said.

"Glory to our defenders, men and women," Zelensky added. "Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes."

—Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 25, 2022

Russian forces have closed in on Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv, where residents reported explosions since early Friday morning.

In a video address on Thursday, Zelensky said he planned to remain in Kyiv despite being Russia's "No. 1 target."

As the fight rages on, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko took up a rifle to fight alongside civilians and told CNN he was prepared to fight with a "territorial defense" battalion.

Last month, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said he was creating "territorial defense brigades" for volunteers with military backgrounds. "If necessary, we are ready to defend our city," he said at the time.

In the wake of Russia's invasion, Ukraine's government has called on patriotic citizens to take up arms in defense of the country. A video posted on Twitter Friday by the Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko appeared to show Ukrainians helping themselves to weapons on a Kyiv street.

"All those who are ready to take up arms, join the ranks of the area defense forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We simplified procedures. Only your ID is needed. We give weapons to all patriots," the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a tweet Thursday. The country's defense ministry has said the same.

The defense ministry has also called on residents of Kyiv to "make Molotov cocktails" to fight the Russians as they advance on the capital, a challenging endeavor in the face of Ukrainian resistance.