Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko at a meeting of the Court of Appeal in Kiev, Ukraine on January 28, 2022.
Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko at a meeting of the Court of Appeal in Kiev, Ukraine on January 28, 2022.Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  • Ukraine's former president took up a Kalashnikov rifle to fight alongside civilians.
  • Petro Poroshenko told CNN that he is fighting with a "territorial defense" battalion. 
  • Meanwhile, Russian forces advanced on the capital city Kyiv on Friday. 

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko took up a rifle to fight alongside civilians as Russian forces advanced on the capital city of Kyiv on Friday. 

In an interview with CNN from the streets of Kyiv, Poroshenko flashed a short Kalashnikov rifle and said he has two machine guns as he prepares to fight with a "territorial defense" battalion. 

"Putin declared a war to the whole world, to every single person who is watching now," Poroshenko told CNN's John Berman. 

Kyiv was rocked early Friday by large explosions, though the number of people injured and extent of the damage is unclear.

Last month, 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.

Poroshenko said his unit doesn't have artillery, tanks, or an armed personnel carrier "because we launched this process just a couple days ago." 

 

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