ALL OUT WAR
UKRAINIAN troops have destroyed a convoy of Russian special forces made up of Chechen fighters.
A general leading the troops was killed in the battle, outside Kyiv, as the slow pace of the invasion has left Vladimir Putin furious.
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Shells rained down across the country following the invasion in the early hours of Thursday - as the battle for the capital, Kyiv, stretched into a fourth day.
The city awoke to more air raid sirens after missile attacks that turned the sky orange during what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was a "brutal" night.
In a major setback for Russian forces, the Chechen special forces column, including 56 tanks, was obliterated near Hostomel, north-east of the city, the Kyiv Independent reports.
The Russian province of Chechnya is led by the brutal Ramzan Kadyrov, 45, a close ally of Vladimir Putin.
The dead included General Magomed Tushaev, commander of the 141st Motorised Regiment of the Chechen National Guard, according to Ukraine's Interfax Agency.
The Chechen soldiers are known as "hunters" and each of them was reportedly given a pack of cards with senior Ukrainian officials that Moscow wants dead.
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The special forces were pictured training in a Ukrainian forest as they took part in Islamic prayer rituals ahead of their deployment to the frontline.
As his forces encounter stiff resistance from Ukrainians defending their homeland, the Kremlin strongman must be "furious" about the lack of progress, a former Nato defence chief has said.
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"Putin is furious, he thought that the whole war would be easy and everything would be done in 1-4 days,” tweeted Riho Terras, who is also the former commander of the Estonian armed forces.
He said Ukrainian intelligence believes the Russians don't have a "tactical plan" to deal with an enemy that is fighting back.
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“The Russians are in shock of the fierce resistance they have encountered,” Terras said.
Mr Zelenksyy Russian troops are "attacking everything" - including ambulances - and areas where there are no military bases.
He has also rejected talks in Belarus which he said "could have been possible" if Russia had not attacked Ukraine from the country's territory.
Belarus special forces are believed to be preparing to join in the assault on Kiev, the Mirror reports.
Earlier terrified civilians were urged to take cover in subways and basements as darkness fell.
Missiles kit Kyiv's main airport, Boryspil International and an oil depot was also blown up at at Vasylkiv, around 25m west of Kyiv.
Residents have been warned the burning depot was emitting smoke and poisonous fumes and were told to keep their windows shut and to take cover.
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Russian missiles also hit a nuclear waste disposal site on the outskirts of Kyiv, the Ukrainian State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine has confirmed.
The strike has sparked fears that people could be exposed to radioactive material.
Vasylkiv mayor Natalia Balasynovych said the city had sustained heavy shelling - but vowed the Russians would not win.
In a defiant rallying cry, she said: "The enemy wants to destroy everything around, but he will not succeed. Hold on!"
A swirling mushroom cloud of smoke and flames was also seen above the city of Kharkiv, in north eastern Ukraine.
And unverified reports also said a gas pipeline had been blown up in the city.
People were asked not to turn lights on in their homes and keep well away from windows over fears of flying shards of glass.
PUTIN'S RAGE
There were widespread fears that the Russian army would step up its efforts to seize Kyiv this weekend, targeting commercial businesses in a bid to destroy Ukrainians' morale.
A city-wide curfew is being enforced in the capital while authorities hunt down "sabotage and reconnaissance groups," Kyiv's mayor said.
As midnight struck in the war-torn country, civilians and troops were urged to hunker down ahead of the "imminent" attack.
It marks the dawn of a fourth day of fighting as hero Ukranian troops and civilians scramble to beat off the Russian invaders.
MP Lesia Vasylenko tweeted: "In 30-60 mins Kyiv will be under attack never seen before. #Russia will hit us with all they have."
It comes after a day of fighting during which Russian troops failed to capture the capital.
The official Ukraine death toll stands at 198, including three children.
And at least 17 of those were civilians, killed in a blast.
BATTLE FOR KYIV
The Ukrainian Government has insisted the Russians are failing to advance with some 3,500 killed.
The UK Ministry of Defence tweeted in an intelligence update that Russian troops appear to be waning, suffering from "logistical challenges" and a strong, Ukrainian resistance.
The MoD confirmed that Russian troops had been injured and captured by Ukrainian forces.
And Putin has reportedly banned some social media from the country, in a "probable" attempt to hide the horrific details of the Russian invasion from his own people.
Prime ministerial adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said: "We are striking the enemy around Kyiv. The enemy is not moving for now."
Germany tonight backtracked on their decision not to send arms to the country, promising 1,000 anti tank-weapons and 500 Stinger missiles.
Scores of emotional and exhausted refugees have been arriving at the Polish border, with residents still inside Ukraine taking to the streets and arming themselves.
Meanwhile, queues of men and women signing up to fight were seen in towns and cities across the country.
Others queued to drop off supplies, medicine and food for the army.
The PM has also promised to crack down on Russian oligarchs funneling dirty money through the UK.
And Russia's central bank was frozen, and banned from the German SWIFT system, a global inter-bank communication system.
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Ursula von der Leyen said the measures would "cripple Putin’s ability to finance his war machine".
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