Zelenskiy Vows to Stay in Kyiv amid Russian Invasion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed, on Friday, to stay in Kyiv amid Russia's severe attacks to fully take control of the country.

In a video message, Zelenskiy promised that he will stay in the capital, asserting that his family is also in Ukraine.

"(The) enemy has marked me down as the number one target," Zelenskiy warned. "My family is the number two target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state."

Russia launched its invasion on Ukraine by land, air and sea Thursday morning following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin. Thousands of citizens fled as explosions and gunfire rocked major cities, and dozens were killed, according to reports.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are battling Russian invaders advancing toward the capital in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.

On his part, Putin stated that Russia is carrying out "a special military operation" to stop the Ukrainian government from committing genocide against its own people - an accusation the West calls baseless.

Asked if he was worried about Zelenskiy's safety, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS: "To the best of my knowledge, President Zelenskiy remains in Ukraine at his post, and of course we're concerned for the safety of all of our friends in Ukraine - government officials and others."