Death and destruction mark the third day into the Russian offensive in Ukraine with troops and civilians taking up arms to defend Kiev from falling.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian Military to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine.
Russia's invasion force is being slowed and frustrated by unexpectedly stiff resistance from Ukrainian troops, keeping them well outside Kyiv, a senior US defence official said Saturday.
The United States and Western allies are still able to deliver arms into the country to bolster the Ukraine military, and Washington plans to send more in the coming days to help them fight both Russian armour on the ground and assaults from the air, the official said.
According to Pentagon information, Russia now has at least 50 per cent of its massive invasion force inside Ukraine.
But the force is making slow progress on its original three-front thrust due to unexpectedly stiff resistance, the official told reporters, on grounds of anonymity.
The Russian army has been given orders to broaden its offensive in Ukraine "from all directions", after Kyiv refused to hold talks in Belarus, Moscow's defence ministry said in a statement Saturday.
"After the Ukrainian side rejected the negotiation process, today all units were given orders to develop the advance from all directions in accordance with the operation's plans," Russian army spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
The Kremlin on Saturday accused Ukraine of prolonging the military conflict by refusing to negotiate as Russia pressed on with its invasion of the pro-Western country.
"In connection with the expected negotiations, the Russian president yesterday afternoon ordered the suspension of the advance of the main forces of the Russian Federation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a conference call.
"Since the Ukrainian side refused to negotiate, the advance of the Russian forces resumed this afternoon."
The United States is providing Ukraine with $350 million in additional military assistance to fight off the Russian invasion, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Saturday.
"This package will include further lethal defensive assistance to help Ukraine address the armoured, airborne, and other threats it is now facing," Blinken said in a statement.
Russia said Saturday it was closing its airspace to flights from Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic in response to punishment over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"Air carriers of these states and/or registered in them are subject to restrictions on flights to destinations on the territory of the Russian Federation, including transit flights through the airspace of the Russian Federation," the federal air transport agency Rosaviation said.
The measure is set to go into effect from 3 pm local time on Saturday.
Kyiv authorities on Saturday toughened curfew orders in the city, saying violators would be considered "enemy" saboteurs as Russian forces press to capture Ukraine's capital.
Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko said that to improve the defence of the capital the curfew will be extended from 5:00pm to 8:00am local time between Saturday and Monday.
"All civilians who are on the street during the curfew will be considered members of the enemy's sabotage and reconnaissance groups," Klitschko wrote in an online post.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday urged Germany and Hungary to back severing Russia from the SWIFT banking system to punish Moscow for invading his country.
"There is already almost full support from the EU countries to disconnect Russia from SWIFT. I hope that Germany and Hungary will have the courage to support this decision," Zelensky said in a video address posted online.
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Polish Deputy Interior Minister Pawel Szefernaker on Saturday said 100,000 people have crossed the border into Poland from Ukraine since Russia's invasion this week.
"From the onset of warfare in Ukraine through today, along the entire border with Ukraine, 100,000 people have crossed the border from Ukraine into Poland," Szefernaker told reporters in the border village of Medyka, southeastern Poland.
He said 90 per cent of the refugees have concrete places to go in Poland, such as the homes of friends or family, but that the remainder are seeking help at nine reception centres set up along the border.
The centres offer meals and medical care, a place to rest as well as any necessary information.
The head of the Polish border guard, Tomasz Praga, added at the press conference that on Friday alone nearly 50,000 people had crossed into Poland from Ukraine
Ukraine's health minister said Saturday that 198 civilians, including three children, have been killed so far by Russian forces attacking the pro-Western country.
"Unfortunately, according to operative data, at the hands of the invaders we have 198 dead, including 3 children, 1,115 wounded, including 33 children," Health Minister Viktor Lyashko wrote on Facebook.
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The Czech Republic will donate machine guns, assault and sniper rifles, pistols and ammunition valued at 7.6 million euros ($8.6 million) to Ukraine, the defence minister said Saturday.
"The government on Saturday approved further help to Ukraine, which is facing a Russian attack," Minister Jana Cernochova said in a tweet.
"The defence ministry will also take care of transport to a place set by the Ukrainian side. Our help is not over," she added.
Cernochova told reporters later the consignment would comprise 30,000 pistols, 7,000 assault rifles, 3,000 machine guns, several dozen sniper guns and about a million cartridges.
She added the gift would be shipped to Ukraine "within hours".
In January, Prague had decided to donate 4,000 artillery shells worth 1.5 million euros to Ukraine. The ammunition has yet to be delivered too.
The Russian army has targeted Ukraine's military infrastructure with cruise missiles from the air and sea, the defence ministry said on Saturday, as Moscow pressed on with the invasion of the pro-Western country.
"During the night, the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched a strike with long-range precision weapons using air- and sea-launched cruise missiles against the military infrastructure of Ukraine," defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in televised remarks, reports AFP.
The world must brace for a long war between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow launched an invasion of its pro-Western neighbour, French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Saturday.
"If can tell you one thing this morning it is that this war will last... This crisis will last, this war will last and all the crises that come with it will have lasting consequences," Macron's told France's annual agriculture fair, warning: "We must be prepared", reports AFP.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that "partners" were sending weapons to help Kyiv fight Russian troops, adding he had spoken by phone with French leader Emmanuel Macron, reports AFP.
"A new day on the diplomatic frontline began with a conversation with Emmanuel Macron," Zelensky tweeted. "Weapons and equipment from our partners are on the way to Ukraine. The anti-war coalition is working!"
After Ukrainian forces said they had repulsed a Russian attack on their capital Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky shot a selfie-style video to vow to stay and fight on, reports AFP.
"I am here. We will not lay down any weapons. We will defend our state because our weapons are our truth," he declared, denouncing as disinformation claims that he had surrendered or fled.
Russian and Ukrainian forces clashed on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital on Saturday as authorities urged citizens to help defend the city from advancing Russian forces in the worst European security crisis in decades.
Earlier, a spokesman for Zelenskiy said Ukraine and Russia would consult in coming hours on a time and place for talks.
"Ukraine was and remains ready to talk about a ceasefire and peace," Zelenskiy's spokesman, Sergii Nykyforov, said in a post on Facebook. "We agreed to the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation", reports Reuters.
Ukraine's army said Saturday it had repelled a Russian attack on one of the capital city Kyiv's main avenues.
Russia "attacked one of the military units on Victory Avenue in Kyiv. The attack was repulsed," Ukraine's army said on its verified Facebook page, without specifying where exactly the incident took place.
In a separate post, the army said "heavy fighting" was underway in the town of Vasylkiv south of Kyiv, adding that Russia was "trying to land paratroopers", reports AFP.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Friday warned Finland and Sweden of dire military and political reactions if they try to join NATO.
Maria Zakharova, in a news conference inside Moscow, said if Finland or Sweden wants to join the NATO military alliance, they will face a serious reaction from Moscow, reports BBC.
