‘Do not leave shelters’: Kyiv on alert as Russia launches huge new air assault

Russia-Ukraine War: "A massive attack!" Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app. "Do not leave shelters."

Russia launched a fresh "massive" wave of attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Tuesday and air defence systems were engaging incoming targets, city officials said, as air raid sirens blared in several other regions.

Russia-Ukraine War: Police experts examine fragments of a missile after Russia fired a barrage of missiles for the second time in 24 hours. (AFP)

"A massive attack!" Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app. "Do not leave shelters."

Kyiv's military administration officials said that air defence systems were repelling the attacks. Falling debris hit several districts of the capital, including the historic Podil and Pecherskyi neighbourhoods.

Klitschko said that a 27-year-old woman was taken to hospital after sustaining injuries in southwestern Holosiivskyi district.

Russia has repeatedly attacked the Ukrainian capital in May using a combination of drones and missiles, mostly at night in order to inflict psychological distress on people, Kyiv's official said.

The Tuesday strikes were Russia's 17th air assault on the capital this month and came after the city was attacked twice on Monday, including a rare daytime strike.