NEW DELHI: Russian Armed Forces are inching close to capturing Kyiv the capital and most populous city of Ukraine as they relentlessly pound the city from both air and land, although stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces is holding them from establishing control over the city. 

Russain has been targetting both government and residential buildings in and around the central square and among the buildings destroyed in the shelling included a school and hospital complex and a high rise residential complex. 

Russian forces have claimed that they have taken charge of several government installations including the civilian airport Kyiv Boryspil in the outskirts of the city. Ukraine's central military command has already reported that Russia has bombed several other airports, including Nikolaev, Kramatorsk and  Kherson. Kharkiv military airport.

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, posted images showing a gaping hole in one side of the building and ravaged apartments on several floors. Klitschko who is also the former world heavyweight boxing champion has now picked up arms to defend his nation and is fighting along with his country's armed forces in Kyiv. He has said that his people are giving very stiff resistance to Russian soldiers and will not yield at all. 

The number of casualties in Kyiv is not immediately not known but several reports say that nearly two casualties have been reported. A majority of the residents have taken shelter in underground bunkers or metro stations for three days in a row.

Ukraine’s health minister had reported on Saturday that 198 people had been killed, including three children, and that more than 1,000 others had been wounded since the Russian offensive started before dawn on Thursday with massive air and missile strikes and troops forging into Ukraine from the north, east and south.

The United Nations has said that more than 150,000 Ukrainians have fled the country since the beginning of the invasion by the Russian forces. Meanwhile President Volodymyr Zelensky, has maintained that his country will fight against this invasion and will give stiff resistance to Russian forces.