Officials in Kyiv claimed Ukraine is preparing for "major battles" against Russian soldiers in the east of the country, as thousands of residents leave in fear of an impending Russian onslaught.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is prepared to fight while also attempting to resolve this war through diplomacy. He said the country is bracing for assault from the neighbor who invaded Ukraine. "Unfortunately, we see preparations for big fights, some say decisive ones, in the east," he warned at a press conference with visiting Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Saturday.

Mykhaylo Podolyak, Zelensky's adviser, said Ukraine must defeat Russia in the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow controls two rebel territories before a meeting between the Ukrainian leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin can take place.

"Ukraine is prepared for major battles. Ukraine must prevail in all of them, including the Donbas. And if that happens, Ukraine will be in a stronger negotiation position. "According to the Interfax news agency, Podolyak stated on national television. "The presidents will then meet. It could take two or three weeks."

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its sixth week, Zelensky has urged the West to follow Britain’s lead in providing military aid. Because of robust opposition and the failed intentions of Moscow to conquer Kvivy quickly, Moscow has moved its focus to eastern and southern Ukraine following stiff resistance from Ukraine to capturing Kyiv.

The US and France condemn Kramatorsk’s violence with bitter words. As word of the devastating attack on Kramatorsk's station broke, European Union leaders were meeting with Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday. Five of the 52 victims were children. The United State President Joe Biden accused Russia of committing a "horrific massacre" in Kramatorsk, while France called the strike a "crime against humanity."

However, Moscow denied responsibility for the rocket attack, which injured 109 people. As Russian forces reassemble in Ukraine's east and south, local leaders are begging citizens to evacuate before it's too late.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the latest Western leader to visit Kyiv, evacuations resumed from Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, where a missile strike killed 52 people at a railway station the day before.