President Zelenskyy Warns Next 24 Hours Are 'Crucial' For Ukraine

President Zelenskyy has warned that the next 24 hours are 'crucial' for Ukraine.

Speaking to UK prime minister Boris Johnson yesterday (27 February) evening, he stated that the fifth day of the Russian invasion would be pivotal for his nation.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister spoke to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy again this evening.

"The Prime Minister lauded the bravery of the Ukrainian people following the Russian invasion and praised the leadership of President Zelenskyy in the face of such adversity.

"The resistance of the Ukrainian people was heroic, the Prime Minister added.

"President Zelenskyy said he believed the next 24 hours was a crucial period for Ukraine, and the Prime Minister said he would do all he could to help ensure defensive aid from the UK and allies reached Ukraine.

"The leaders agreed to continue to stay in close contact and the Prime Minister reiterated the UK's staunch support for Ukraine's sovereignty."

It comes after a comparatively quiet night in the capital of Kyiv, with military advances slowing and a weekend-long curfew for citizens coming to an end earlier this morning.

However, the UK's defence secretary Ben Wallace has warned that Russian forces could now be set to become more violent, as they are behind schedule and facing stiffer resistance than anticipated.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he said: "The Ukrainians are putting up a very strong fight.

"One of the fears everyone should have is does he [Vladimir Putin] know what's going on in Ukraine? Are people actually telling him the truth?

"But the Russian handbook is to get more violent and commit more forces because fundamentally in the Russian doctrine the lives of their own soldiers matter much less than in other armed forces.

"We have to brace ourselves for what may come next, which could be ruthless indiscriminate bombing of cities and the propelling forward of soldiers and high casualty levels and that's going to be horrific."

Russian president Vladimir Putin placed his country's nuclear deterrent forces on 'high alert' yesterday, citing 'aggressive statements' made by NATO powers, along with hard-hitting financial sanctions against himself and Russia.

Wallace said Putin is aware that anything involving a nuclear weapon would be met with an equal or greater response from the West.

He said: "This is a battle of rhetoric and we just have to make sure we manage it properly."

If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information.