Invading Russian forces were approaching Kyiv from the north and northeast, Ukraine's army said on Friday, amid rising fears the capital could fall on the second day of the Russian attack.
Russian soldiers were trying to "bypass" the northern city of Chernigiv, where they were "rebuffed" by the Ukrainian army, to attack Kyiv, the army said on Facebook.
The troops were advancing on the capital from the eastern city of Konotop, which they now controlled, AFP reported.
Ukraine wanted peace and was ready for talks with Russia, including on adopting a neutral status regarding Nato, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podolyak, told Reuters.
"If talks are possible, they should be held. If in Moscow they say they want to hold talks, including on neutral status, we are not afraid of this," he said via a text message. "We can talk about that as well."
"Our readiness for dialogue is part of our persistent pursuit of peace."
Ukraine currently is not part of Nato or the European Union, though it wants to join both, anathema to its former overlord Moscow.
Ukraine gave up its nuclear arms, after gaining independence on the breakup of the Soviet Union, in exchange for security guarantees from European countries.
After pro-democracy protests toppled a Russia-allied Ukrainian president in 2014, Moscow annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Kyiv and went on to back rebels fighting government troops in the east of the country.
Seven years later, President Putin ordered his forces to invade Ukraine from the air, sea and land on Thursday and his troops were advancing on the capital Kyiv on Friday.
