We are encircled but full of fight, says Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko

Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv mayor and former heavyweight boxing champion, gestures while speaking during his interview with the Associated Press in his office in the City Hall in Kyiv, Ukraine (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

As Russian troops draw closer to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv’s mayor is both filled with pride over his citizens’ spirit and anxious about how long they can hold out.

In an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on Sunday, after a gruelling night of Russian attacks on the outskirts of the city, mayor Vitali Klitschko was silent for several seconds when asked if there were plans to evacuate civilians if Russian troops managed to take Kyiv.