'Together we defeated Hitler, will defeat Putin too'

Following the rejection of a Russian request for discussions in Belarus by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba today asked "foreigners eager to protect Ukraine" to contact the country's foreign diplomatic missions.

"Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries. Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too," the foreign minister wrote on his Twitter. 

Earlier, Kremlin said its delegation was ready to meet Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel.

Gun fire and explosions rocked Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv as street fighting raged after Russia's invading forces broke into the city, an AFP journalist reported.