Explainer | Ukraine invasion: what happens if Kyiv falls and Volodymyr Zelensky’s government is toppled?
- The Ukrainian president has voiced his intention to stay, but experts say if the capital fell to Russian forces he would either be killed or become a prisoner
- If Zelensky fled, he could set up operations in western Ukraine, and Putin would likely install his hand-selected government in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who says he’s the Kremlin’s No 1 target, has vowed to stay in the country, even as Russian troops bear down on Kyiv.
“According to our information, the enemy marked me as target No 1, my family, as target No 2,” Zelensky said in a video statement on Thursday. “They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state. We have information that enemy sabotage groups have entered Kyiv.”
Zelensky’s whereabouts are under wraps after he told European leaders in a call on Thursday that they might not see him again alive. But he said he will be staying in the capital.
On Friday, Zelensky posted a short video proclaiming Ukraine’s continued defence against the Russian invasion. His defiance came even as questions swirled on social media about whether leaders had begun fleeing.