Kyiv Mayor: City ‘Encircled’ by Russian Forces, Then Walks Back Claim

Smoke and flame rise near a military building after an apparent Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2022. Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo

The mayor of Kyiv, former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, claimed that Russian forces have encircled the capital city.

When asked by reporters on Sunday about evacuation efforts, Klitschko responded: “We can’t do that, because all ways are blocked,” according to The Associated Press. “Right now we are encircled.”