Former Ukrainian president wearing camouflage vest tells reporter he and his fighters are 'not waiting for the NATO troops'
Petro Poroshenko said Ukrainian soldiers need ammunition and food in order to fight off Russian troops closing in on Kyiv.
Sky News / Twitter
- A former Ukrainian president said he and his fighters are "not waiting for the NATO troops."
- In an interview with Sky News, Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine's armed forces need food and ammunition.
- Russian forces continue to batter the Ukrainian capital as civilian casualties mount.
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said during an interview on Tuesday that he and his fellow fighters aren't waiting for NATO troops to help fight the Russians.
"We are not waiting for the NATO troops — NATO soldiers — but we definitely need everything from nutrition to ammunition, from anti-aircraft to anti-tank," Poroshenko told Sky News from Kyiv.
Poroshenko could be seen in the interview wearing camouflaged straps, standing in front of a group of armed individuals, and issued a plea to NATO for a weapons delivery.
"Please deliver for us, not only anti-tank and anti-aircraft, but jet fighters especially," he said. "You should understand, we fight not only for our soil, we fight for the democracy — for the freedom and for the West.
Poroshenko said Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression is not just directed toward Ukraine, but also toward NATO countries and the rest of Europe.
Ukraine's former president previously said he prepared to fight with a "territorial defense" battalion following the February 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In January, as the possible threat of war was looming, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said he was creating "territorial defense brigades" for volunteers with a military background.
"If necessary, we are ready to defend our city," Klitschko said at the time.
Klitschko announced a curfew for Kyiv from Tuesday evening until Thursday morning, due to increasing Russian shelling on Ukraine's capital city.
"Today is a difficult and dangerous moment. This is why I ask all Kyivites to get prepared to stay at home for two days, or if the sirens go off, in the shelters," Klitschko said, according to the BBC.
Ukraine's State Emergency Service said two people were killed and dozens injured after a Russian strike hit a 16-story apartment building on Tuesday.