- By Hugo Bachega in Kyiv & Kathryn Armstrong in London
- BBC news
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv has been targeted by more Russian airstrikes, which one official described as “remarkable in density”.
Ukraine said all 18 missiles were shot down and footage showed air defenses destroying targets in the city.
At least three people were injured during the barrage, which used both drones and missiles, officials said.
Russia has stepped up its air campaign in recent weeks, ahead of an expected Ukrainian offensive in the south.
The air raid alert sounded around 02:30 local time (23:30 GMT Monday) and was withdrawn two hours later in the eighth attack to hit the capital this month.
An unusually high number of loud explosions were heard in the city center, as authorities told residents in online messages that air defense had been activated.
The head of Ukraine’s armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhny, said that Russia attacked Kyiv from the north, south and east and 18 air, sea and land missiles were used.
Serhiy Popko, head of the military administration in the Ukrainian capital, described the barrage as “the maximum number of attack missiles in the shortest period of time”.
“According to preliminary information, most of the enemy targets in Kyiv’s airspace have been found and destroyed,” he added.
Kyiv residents were warned to stay away from windows as debris from the intercepted missiles fell from the sky.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said rocket debris fell in central districts, including the city’s zoo. No animals or workers were injured.
The Solomyansky district, which includes the international airport, was reported to be the worst hit.
Mr Popko said that the fire that broke out in a non-residential in the district has since been extinguished.
Russia’s resumption of strikes in Kyiv earlier this month came after a pause of more than 50 days. Ukrainian authorities believe that Moscow’s strategy is to exhaust its air defense systems, which have been particularly successful in intercepting most of the missiles and drones fired.
Over the past few days, President Volodymyr Zelensky has been on a European tour, where he was promised several billion dollars worth of military equipment by Western allies, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Emmanuel Macron of France.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, thousands of civilians and fighters have been killed or injured, cities and towns have been destroyed in the fighting, and nearly 8.2 million Ukrainians have been registered as refugees in Europe, with 2.8 million of them in Russia.