Mine blast in Ukraine's Kharkiv kills five amid 'explosions' in Kiev

Five people have been killed, including two children, when their vehicle hit a Russian mine in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region, the governor said.

"A car hit an enemy mine, killing a 53-year-old man, a 64-year-old woman, a 25-year-old woman, a five-year-old boy and a three-month-old baby," Governor Oleg Synyegubov wrote on social media on Monday.

The city of Kharkiv has been regularly targeted by Russian troops, who launched a major ground offensive in the region on May 10.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the offensive in Ukraine's northeast was intended to create a "buffer zone" to protect Russia's border Belgorod region from shelling.

Russian forces made their most significant territorial gains in 18 months during the first days of the major ground assault in the area, capturing several Ukrainian border villages and forcing thousands from their homes.

However, officials have said the thrust has since stalled in recent weeks after Washington partially lifted restrictions on using United States-donated weapons to strike inside Russia.

Russian missile attack on Kiev

Also on Monday, Russian forces launched multiple ballistic and cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets, Ukraine’s air force said, with explosions felt and heard across the capital, Kiev.

The daylight attack included Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, one of the most advanced Russian weapons, the air force said.

The Kinzhal flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept.

The Kiev city administration reported falling debris, presumably from intercepted missiles, in the Solomianskyi, Dniprovskyi, and Holosiivskyi districts of Kiev, starting fires.

Smoke rose from several Kiev neighbourhoods.

There were no immediate details of casualties and damage.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said ambulances were heading to the Solomianskyi district.

Explosions were also reported by local officials in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region.