A barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes killed nine people and wounded dozens across Ukraine, authorities said on Tuesday, just days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow was preparing a "massive new strike".
Moscow has bombarded Ukraine almost daily since launching an offensive in 2022, often provoking retaliation from Kiev, as talks to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II remain stalled.
Journalists heard several explosions in the Ukrainian capital, where local authorities said Russia struck with ballistic missiles, setting off fires and cutting power in several districts.
The city's mayor Vitali Klitschko said four people were killed and at least 58, including two children, wounded in the "mass enemy attack".
"Explosions in the city. Air defence forces are working! Stay in shelters!" Klitschko had warned earlier.
Residents rushed to shelters clutching bags and blankets, AFP journalists observed, as a large plume of smoke emanated from Kiev's city centre.
"The enemy is striking with ballistic missiles," Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kiev's City Military Administration, said.
Deadly strikes, involving both missiles and drones, were also reported elsewhere.
In the city of Dnipro, a Russian attack killed five people and wounded 25 others, three of whom were in serious condition, local governor Oleksandr Ganzha said.
Ten people, including a child, were wounded in the city of Kharkiv, according to the mayor, Igor Terekhov.
Amid the attack, Poland's Air Force said on X that it had mobilised aircraft to protect Polish airspace.
Ukraine’s Air Force issued warnings about missile threats, while authorities in Kiev warned of the presence of drones in Ukrainian airspace.
'Protect your lives'
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person in Russia's Kursk region, near the Ukrainian border, regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said.
Another drone sparked a fire at an oil refinery in the southwestern city of Krasnodar, its operational headquarters said on Telegram.
The strikes on Ukraine came after Zelenskyy said on Friday "we have intelligence information about Russia preparing a new massive strike" and called for people to "protect your lives".
"Please pay attention to air alerts, protect your lives. Our services are working efficiently and are prepared; the Air Force and other defenders of our skies will be on duty 24/7, as always."
The Ukrainian president has reiterated his call to allies to allow and finance the supply of Patriot missiles, which can intercept Russian ballistic missiles.
He wrote to US President Donald Trump and the US Congress last week asking for Patriot systems to respond to the intensifying Russian air attacks.
Ukraine has also stepped up its strikes on occupied territories and on Russia in retaliation for the daily Russian bombardments.
