'We've derailed their plan,' says Ukraine President Zelensky in video message

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said that Ukraine's force had interrupted the Kremlin's push to capture Kyiv. Speaking in a new video address, the 44-year-old leader said, "We've derailed their plan."

He further accused Moscow of seeking to overthrow him and establish a puppet state in Ukraine as he said that the Russians have deployed "missiles, fighters, drones, artillery, armoured vehicles, saboteurs, and airborne forces" against Ukraine and have hit "residential areas."

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He urged Germany and Hungary to back severing Russia from the SWIFT banking system. "There is already almost full support from the EU countries to disconnect Russia from SWIFT. I hope that Germany and Hungary will have the courage to support this decision," Zelensky said.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in the killing of dozens of people. Also, this has forced more than 50,000 to flee Ukraine in just 48 hours.

Earlier, in a video message,Zelensky said,"My family is the number two target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state." US press secretary Jen Psaki sought to defend Zelensky saying: "Obviously going after a head of state would be a significant, horrific act by the Russian leadership."

(With inputs from agencies)