Vitali Klitschko tells ITV News he would rather die in Kyiv than give city to Russians

ITV News Global Security Editor Rohit Kachroo reports from Kyiv, where an apartment building was struck.

Kyiv’s mayor and former boxing champion Vitali Klitschko told ITV News he would rather die than surrender the city after Russia’s latest attack.

Russian forces pressed their assault on Ukrainian cities on Friday, with new missile strikes and shelling on the capital Kyiv and the outskirts of the western city of Lviv.

Early morning barrages hit a residential building in the Podil neighbourhood of Kyiv, killing at least one person, according to emergency services.

Another 19 people were hurt in the shelling and 98 were evacuated.

Earlier this week, Klitschko spoke to ITV News alongside his brother Wladimir, who said “you can't break our will, this is our home, we will fight.”

Klitschko: 'Better we die than give the city'.

Speaking from the rubble left just hours after Russia’s shelling On Friday morning, Mayor Klitschko said: “The Russians had plans to occupy Kyiv. Already three weeks ago. But our army destroyed whole plans of Russians.

“And Russians – I, as mayor, talk to you and talk to everyone: never, ever Russians will come to our city. Better we died than give [the] city to Russians.”

It comes as world leaders pushed for an investigation of the Kremlin’s repeated attacks on civilian targets, including schools, hospitals and residential areas.

The World Health Organisation said as of Thursday it has verified 43 attacks on hospitals and health facilities, with 12 people killed and 34 injured.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that American officials were evaluating potential war crimes and that there would be “massive consequences.”

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