Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky bans men 18-60 from leaving the country

Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelensky has barred male citizens between the age of 18 and 60 from leaving the country so that they can support the army in its ongoing war with Russia.

Zelensky also said that he believed that Russian special forces have entered the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv and have earmarked him to be killed by all means possible.

In a video statement late Thursday, February 24, Zelensky, clad in military camouflage said:  “According to our information, the enemy marked me as target No. 1, my family, as target No. 2. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state. We have information that enemy sabotage groups have entered Kyiv.”

He added: “I am staying in the government quarter together with others.”

In a declaration signed late Thursday, Zelensky said that “in order to ensure the defence of the state, maintaining combat and mobilization readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations, a broad-based mobilization was ordered, including in the capital, Kyiv and all Ukraine’s major cities.”

“Mobilization shall be carried out within 90 days from the date of entry into force of this Decree,” the announcement said.

The mobilization also instructed, “the Security Service of Ukraine to take counterintelligence measures during the general mobilization.”

It ordered the “conscription of conscripts, reservists for military service, their delivery to military units and institutions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” and other state security services.

“In particular, it is forbidden for men aged 18-60, Ukraine citizens, to leave the borders of Ukraine,” the statement said. “This regulation will remain in effect for the period of the legal regime of martial law. We ask the citizens to take this information into consideration.”

His message comes after Russia’s assault before dawn on Thursday with a series of missile attacks against locations near Kyiv and the use of long-range artillery against the city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border.

It quickly spread across central and eastern Ukraine as Russian forces attacked the country from three sides.

Zelensky on Friday announced that at least 137 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 316 soldiers had been wounded since the Russian invasion began early on Thursday.

Zelensky in a video message posted on his Facebook page also said other states were “afraid” to support Ukraine’s accession to NATO.