Siege of Kiev main aim of Russia's offensive: Ukrainian Armed Forces

KIEV, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The siege of Kiev is the primary purpose of Russia's offensive against Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Saturday on Facebook.

Russia plans to encircle and block Kiev to "demilitarize" Ukraine and force the Ukrainian leadership to change its political course on Russian terms, the statement said.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko, 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been killed.