Explosions heard in Kyiv as Russia launches massive attack

Air raid sirens sounded across the country just before 6 a.m. 

Kyiv Independent reporters heard explosions in the city shortly before 8:30 a.m., with several more a few minutes later. More were heard just after 9:00 a.m. shortly after Ukraine's Air Force said Russian MiG-31s, used to launch Kinzhal ballistic missiles, were in the air.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said there were power outages in "several districts" of the capital, and later added there were problems with the water supply on the right bank of the city.

Shortly after 9:00 a.m., DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, said emergency power shutdowns were in place across Ukraine.

Explosions were also heard in Kharkiv, the city's mayor Ihor Terekhov reported.

Explosions were also reported in Odesa, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, and Kryvyi Rih, as well as in Lviv, Rivne and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts.

Ukraine's Air Force initially reported the activity of 11 Russian bomber aircraft, as well as numerous kamikaze drones, heading towards cities across the country.

It then reported the launch of multiple groups of missiles of various types.

Later it said another six Russian bomber aircraft were in the air.

SD/