Ukrainian and Russian fight on streets of capital Kyiv

Map of Ukraine locating areas where explosions, strikes and fighting have been reported and under Russian control, with additional information as of Feb 26, 0630 GMT

Ukrainian soldiers repulsed a Russian attack in the capital, the military said Saturday after a defiant President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed his pro-Western country would not be bowed by Moscow. 

"I am here. We will not lay down any weapons. We will defend our state, because our weapons are our truth," Zelensky said, as Russia said it had fired cruise missiles at Ukraine's military infrastructure.

"This is what I wanted to tell you. Glory to Ukraine!" 

French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the world must brace for a long war.

- Body on the pavement -

The authorities said the number of victims was "being specified" and that an evacuation was underway. 

Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said online that the building had been hit by a "projectile". 

"Heavy fighting continues," the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine posted on its telegram account around 0330 GMT.

It also reported another incident northwest of the capital. 

Kyiv said 137 people, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed.

A Russian transport plane had also been "knocked down" near Vasylkiv, a town roughly 30 kilometres (19 miles) southwest of Kyiv, the ministry added on its official Facebook page.

Ukrainian forces reported fighting with Russian armoured units in two locations between 40-80 kilometres north of Kyiv.

Moscow has yet to report on casualties.

The United States, Canada, Britain and the European Union doled out further sanctions on Russia on Friday, including against Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The UK government ordered all assets of both men frozen while the United States and Canada will also impose sanctions on the pair, with Washington including a travel ban.

"We have reached the line after which the point of no return begins," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Putin had earlier described the Ukrainian government as "terrorists" and "a gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis", urging the country's military to topple Zelensky.

A Kremlin spokesman said Putin was ready to send a delegation to Belarusian capital Minsk "for talks with a Ukrainian delegation".

After invading Ukraine, "now we see Moscow suggesting diplomacy take place at the barrel of a gun. This is not real diplomacy," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

Streams of people in cars and on foot were seen crossing into Hungary, Poland and Romania while hundreds camped out in a train station in the Polish border city of Przemysl.

The US-led military alliance NATO said it was deploying its rapid response forces for the first time to bolster defences on the alliance's eastern flank.

Facebook also unveiled new restrictions, demonetising Russian state media across its platform.

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Originally published as Ukrainian and Russian fight on streets of capital Kyiv