'Massive' Russian attack on Kyiv kills at least five: Ukraine
KYIV: Ukraine said Monday that "another massive attack" on the capital Kyiv killed at least five people, a day after the country's top military commander vowed to intensify strikes on Russia.
Diplomatic efforts to end the three-year war have stalled, with the last direct meeting between the two sides almost three weeks ago and no follow-up talks scheduled.
AFP journalists in Kyiv heard the buzzing of a drone flying over the city centre and explosions, as well as gunfire.
"Another massive attack on the capital. Possibly, several waves of enemy drones," said a statement from Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration.
Four people were killed in Shevchenkivsky district, where part of a residential high-rise building was destroyed, and another person was killed to the south in Bila Tserkva, said Interior Minister Igor Klymenko.
AFP journalists saw around 10 people sheltering in the basement of a residential building in the centre of the capital waiting for the attack to end, most of them scrolling their phones for news.
The latest strikes came after Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky vowed to intensify strikes on Russia.
"We will not just sit in defence because this brings nothing and eventually leads to the fact that we still retreat, lose people and territories," he told reporters, including AFP.
Syrsky said Ukraine would continue its strikes on Russian military targets, which he said had proved "effective".
"Of course we will continue. We will increase the scale and depth," he said.
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