Ukraine War: Several people were injured as a result of Russian missiles targeting Kiev

A three-storey building in Kiev has been severely damaged, Ukrainian officials said, with the city under renewed Russian attack.

They added that two ballistic missiles were intercepted, but seven people were injured as a result of falling debris.

Explosions were heard across the Ukrainian capital, and a column of smoke was seen rising in the east.

The city's mayor urged residents to take shelter immediately because the attack came without warning.

Moments before the explosions, the Ukrainian Air Force warned in a message on Telegram that a missile was flying towards the city.

It is unusual for such attacks to occur without an air strike warning.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on his Telegram channel: “Explosions in the capital. Urgent to the shelter!”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba posted videos online allegedly showing schoolchildren running to a shelter.

The country's air force commander said that Russia fired two ballistic missiles from the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed, but air defenses intercepted the missiles.

After a series of explosions, the debris of the missile fell in the Pechersky district, not far from central Kiev, and several other areas.

This is the third attack launched by Russia on Kiev within five days.

Latest reports say Ten people Among them was a teenage girl who was injured. Two people were taken to hospital.

Oksana, a Kiev resident, said she was at work when she first heard air raid sirens, followed by the sounds of explosions.

“Before I could do anything, the first explosion happened, and there was a cloud of dust, smashing cars, windows, everything,” she told AFP.

Another resident, Roman, told the BBC: “The explosions, which were very loud, occurred immediately after the sirens sounded in the capital.”

The US ambassador to Kiev, Bridget Brink, said on social media that Russia used hypersonic missiles to attack the Ukrainian capital.

She added that “there is not a moment to lose” because Ukraine needs American help now, referring to a $60 billion military aid package that has been held up in the US Congress.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack showed once again that Ukraine needs better air defense systems than its allies.

“This means safety for our cities and saving human lives,” Zelensky said in a post on social media. “All of us in the world, who respect and protect life, need to stop this terrorism.”

The latest attack on Kiev comes after Ukraine said it struck two landing ships, a communications center and other infrastructure used by the Russian fleet in the Black Sea off Crimea on Sunday.

The Ukrainian General Staff said that the ships Yamal and Azov were destroyed.

However, the BBC was unable to verify the Ukrainian claim of damage to the ships, which are designed to land troops and equipment directly ashore without the need for a berth or pier.

The past few days have witnessed an increase in air attacks by both sides, while Russia is making slow progress in controlling some territory in the east of the country.

Overnight there were drone attacks on Odessa and Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, hitting energy infrastructure and leaving some areas without electricity.

Meanwhile, the city of Kharkiv near the Russian border is still suffering from a partial power outage after Russian attacks destroyed all of its substations on Friday.