Kyiv came under heavy bombardment early on Sunday in what independent monitors said was one of the biggest Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital since Moscow launched its full-scale war more than three and a half years ago.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia had launched a "massive" air attack on the country involving hundreds of missiles and drones.
He said the attack underlined the need for more punitive sanctions against Russia to force it to stop its aggression.
"Putin must feel the danger of continuing this war —personally for him, his buddies' pockets, his economy, and his regime," he posted on X, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "That is what can make him stop this senseless war."
Several other regions were also hit in the strike, with at least 16 people, including three children, injured in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, authorities said.
Several buildings were damaged and on fire in Zaporizhzhia, footage posted on social media channels in the area showed.
In Kyiv, drones flew over the city and anti-aircraft fire rang out for several hours, according to Reuters witnesses. Loud explosions were also heard. The attack was continuing as of 9:15 a.m.
Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a fire had broken out at a state cardiological hospital as a result of the attack.
Some residents fled to metro stations deep underground for safety, sleeping on makeshift beds or sitting on deck chairs following events on their phones.
Poland closed its airspace
Earlier on Sunday morning, Poland closed airspace near its southeastern cities of Lublin and Rzeszow until at least 4 a.m. on Sunday due to "unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security," flight tracking service Flightradar24 said.
The Polish armed forces said it scrambled aircraft to ensure the security of its airspace after Russia launched strikes on Ukraine.
"In connection with the activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation carrying out strikes on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aircraft have begun operating in our airspace," the military said in a post on X. It described the actions as preventive and aimed at securing airspace and protecting citizens.
Ukraine’s Air Force data showed air raid alerts were in effect across the country as of 3 a.m. GMT.