– All windows were smashed – VG

Fighting continues around the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Several powerful explosions were reported on Tuesday.

Some time ago, Kiev was a bustling city with a population of over three million. Now many have fled and those who are are afraid of new attacks.

Fighting around Kiev continues with attacks from the west, northwest, east and northeast. Several buildings in the capital are said to have been attacked by Russian forces.

Reuters reports that emergency services in Kiev say at least two people have been killed and 46 rescued from an apartment building in the Sviatoshynskyi district on Tuesday morning.

There were three powerful explosions in Kiev on Tuesday, according to the news agency AFP.

CNN The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a police station in Kiev. According to BBC At least four different residential buildings and a subway station in Kiev were bombed overnight.

Reuters spoke with Igor Grupa, who lived in a constituency that was attacked on Tuesday.

– Putting what is happening now in Kharkiv, Mariupol and other cities, Grupa says that sooner or later it will happen in Kiev.

He was ready for an attack, and had a bag ready for a long time if he had to escape.

– Before I went to bed, I put a chair on top of me. It really saved me from getting hurt. The windows were all smashed. I’ve only got a few scratches, he says.

Kiev is under Ukrainian control

It has been almost three weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, several major cities such as Kiev, Kharkiv and Kerson have come under numerous attacks.

The besieged city of Mariupol has long been under heavy attack Food and water are almost empty. But the city is still under Ukrainian control.

Russia has not been able to encircle Kiev and has not been able to approach Kiev in recent days, says Lt. Col. Kier Hegen Carlson of the Norwegian Defense College.

– They seem to do more to strengthen, deliver and prepare for attack. Russia has probably suffered huge losses, so Carlson says they need to restructure their forces.

Ukraine, for its part, is doing its part to prepare for a possible attack.

– We expect the Ukrainians to build defensive positions in densely populated areas. Carlson says they may have the forces to go ahead and go on the offensive.

Cities are generally easier to protect, he says.

– You have solid buildings, you have streets that you can easily block, says Carlson.

The fact that a city can be easily defended means that the attack will take longer.

– You can fight backwards quarter to quarter. Then it will be far away from the center.

Carlson says an attack on a city like Kiev could lead to massive destruction.

– If you attack, the enemy will position itself in solid buildings, you will use tanks, artillery and aircraft, he says, which will end in extensive destruction.

Fears a humanitarian crisis

The city administration in Kiev said Sunday that the city has set aside two weeks’ supply of food if supplies are cut off.

Although Kiev has said it has food and supplies for two weeks, there could be even greater humanitarian crises if Russia tries to attack Kiev.

On Monday, Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said the people would fight and “never give up.” Al-Jazeera.

The Russians would never come to our city. I promise as the mayor of Kiev, I told it to the people, to the citizens, I told it to everyone, ”says Klitschko.