President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a bill on general mobilization. Earlier, he announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia and made a televised address to the people of the country.
In the early morning in Kiev, an air raid siren roared. For an hour and a half from the beginning of the special operation, people did not understand what was happening. Officials on the ground calmed down.
“Shots, explosions in the area of the Boryspil airport, which are heard early in the morning, I want to reassure, were made by our army. Everything is fine, everything is under control,” said Vladimir Borisenko, the mayor of Boryspil.
In Kharkov – queues for water. In Kiev – for gasoline, to ATMs, to leave the city, including at the border. People are trying to leave for Slovakia, there is a huge traffic jam at the border crossing in Uzhgorod. The authorities are preparing evacuation trains for residents of frontline areas. Residents of Kiev began to sweep food in stores, some of them have already run out of bread. Bulk buying essential goods. The mayor of the Ukrainian capital urged to stay at home, but to prepare “alarming” suitcases.
“Everyone who is not involved in the work of the critical infrastructure and life support of the city, stay at home. But be prepared to get to the shelter if necessary,” Vitali Klitschko said.
The Verkhovna Rada supported the introduction of martial law. The text of the decree has been published. And there is not a word about general mobilization, including women who were considered liable for military service. No, no movement restrictions. But labor service is likely, which means that any person in power can be sent to dig trenches. Prohibited rallies, elections. And in fact, censorship is being introduced into the media. Critical enterprises are transferred to a special mode of operation. Banks have introduced restrictions – you can not withdraw more than one hundred thousand hryvnia and foreign currency. In some of them, money is already issued only at the box office upon presentation of a passport.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said: urgent help is needed: “Destructive sanctions against Russia, including SWIFT. Completely isolate Russia by all means, in all formats. Weapons for Ukraine. Financial assistance. Humanitarian assistance”
Ex-president Petro Poroshenko also hopes that foreign countries will help. “First of all, what Ukraine needs now is lend-lease, high-tech weapons, protective, lethal,” Poroshenko said.
But the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada from the opposition Ilya Kiva appealed to the incumbent president: do not delay and resign. “Today, President Zelensky should, if he has even a shred of conscience and common sense, resign and resign,” the politician is sure.
But, apparently, Zelensky himself is not ready for this: he said that he was negotiating with Western leaders to create an anti-Russian coalition.