Ukraine invasion: What to know as Russian forces target Kyiv

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Invading Russian forces closed in on the Ukrainian capital Friday, in what appears to be an encircling movement after a barrage of airstrikes on cities and military bases around the country.

The advance on Kyiv is seen as an attempt to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a Kremlin-friendly regime.

Pre-dawn explosions rocked Kyiv and gunfire was reported in parts of the city, while Ukraine's military said a group of Russian spies and saboteurs was seen on the capital's outskirts. Police told people not to exit a central subway station because of gunfire in the area.

The assault, anticipated for weeks by the West, amounts to Europe's largest ground conflict since World War II. It could also portend the emergence of a new “Iron Curtain” between the West and Russia, with global repercussions.

Zelenskyy appealed for defense assistance and tougher sanctions on Russia. U.S. President Joe Biden was to meet Friday with fellow NATO leaders in a virtual summit on Ukraine.

Here are the things to know about the conflict and the security crisis in former Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe:

UKRAINE'S OFFER OF NEUTRALITY

The Ukrainian president made another push for a diplomatic end to the fighting by offering to discuss with Russia the possibility of designating Ukraine a non-aligned country.

The Kremlin said it would analyze the offer even as Russian troops continued their offensive on Kyiv. Western nations had rejected Moscow's demand for a halt to Ukraine's bid to join NATO over fears that the alliance would pose a risk to Russia's security. It was that rejection that Russian President Vladimir Putin used to justify the invasion, claiming that the West left him no other choice.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Zelenskyy's offer as “a...