Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky turned down the US government’s request to evacuate from Kyiv as it came under Russian attack for the third day.

He said that he did not need a ride and sought for ammunition to fight back, said a senior US intelligence official.

“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” Mr Zelensky is believed to have said.

According to the Independent, the request to the Ukrainian president, who has periodically released visuals addressing his citizens to assure them that he is not leaving his country, was made at the behest of the US government.

Officials from the US defence department have said that the Russian offensive has now slowed down and is proceeding at a reduced pace than Moscow had envisioned as it has encountered considerable resistance.