25 February 2022

By 01:24 (UTC+2), Zelenskyy had ordered the full mobilisation of the Ukrainian military for 90 days. Around 04:00 (UTC+2) local time, Kyiv was rocked with two explosions. Ukrainian Interior Ministry official Anton Herashchenko relayed via text message that those explosions were cruise and ballistic missiles being targeted at Kyiv. The Ukrainian government said that it had shot down an enemy aircraft over Kyiv, which then crashed into a residential building, setting it on fire. It was later confirmed that the aircraft was a Ukrainian Su-27.

Independent military analysts noted that Russian forces in the north of the country appeared to have been heavily engaged by the Ukrainian military. Russian units were attempting to encircle Kyiv and advance into Kharkiv, but were bogged down in heavy fighting, with social media images suggesting that some Russian armoured columns had been ambushed. In contrast, Russian operations in the east and south were more effective. The best trained and equipped Russian units were positioned outside Donbas in the southeast and appeared to have maneuvered around the prepared defensive trenches and attacked in the rear of Ukrainian defensive positions. Meanwhile, Russian military forces advancing from Crimea were divided into two columns, with analysts suggesting that they may have been attempting to encircle and entrap the Ukrainian defenders at Donbas, forcing the Ukrainians to abandon their prepared defences and fight in the open.

On the morning of 25 February, Zelenskyy accused Russia of targeting civilian as well as military sites in a televised address. Ukraine government spokesperson Vadym Denysenko said that 33 civilian sites had been hit in the previous 24 hours. Ukraine's Defence Ministry stated that Russian forces had entered the district of Obolon, Kyiv, and were approximately 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the Ukrainian Parliament. The Defence Ministry also announced that all Ukrainian civilians were eligible to volunteer for military service regardless of their age.

Ukrainian authorities reported that a non-critical increase in radiation exceeding control levels had been detected at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after Russian troops had occupied the area, saying that this was due to the movement of heavy military vehicles lifting radioactive dust into the air. Russia claimed that it was defending the plant from nationalistic and terrorist groups, and that staff were monitoring radiation levels at the site.

Zelenskyy indicated that the Ukrainian government was not "afraid to talk about neutral status." On the same day, President Putin indicated to Chinese president Xi Jinping that "Russia is willing to conduct high-level negotiations with Ukraine."

As Russian troops approached Kyiv, Zelenskyy asked residents to prepare Molotov cocktails to "neutralise" the enemy. Putin meanwhile called on the Ukrainian military to overthrow the government. Ukraine distributed 18,000 guns to Kyiv residents who expressed a willingness to fight and deployed the Territorial Defence Forces, the reserve component of the Ukrainian military, for the defence of Kyiv. Some Russian forces had entered northern Kyiv, but had not progressed beyond that. Russia's Spetsnaz troops infiltrated the city with the intention of "hunting" government officials.

By the evening, The Pentagon stated that Russia had not established air supremacy of Ukrainian airspace, which US analysts had predicted would happen quickly after hostilities began. Ukrainian air defence capabilities had been degraded by Russian attacks, but remained operational. Military aircraft from both nations continued to fly over Ukraine. The Pentagon also said that Russian troops were also not advancing as quickly as either US intelligence or Moscow believed they would, that Russia had not taken any population centres, and that Ukrainian command and control was still intact. The Pentagon warned, however, that Russia had sent into Ukraine only 30 percent of the 150,000–190,000 troops it had massed at the border.

A Ukrainian missile attack was launched against the Millerovo air base in Russia.

A Russian tank from a military column was filmed crushing a civilian car in northern Kyiv, veering across the road rush it. The car driver, an elderly man, survived and was helped out by locals.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/