Two people have been killed in Kyiv after Russia launched a ferocious salvo of missiles and drones in attacks across Ukraine.

Ukraine’s army chief, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, said Russian forces fired 64 missiles and drones in several waves of attack on Wednesday morning.

A total of 29 missiles and 15 drones were shot down by Ukraine’s air defences, Mr Zaluzhnyi added.

Follow war latest:
‘Russian paying Iran billions’, documents suggest

In Kyiv, smoke and flames were seen coming from a tower block, as fire crews worked to tackle the fire.

“I was scared when air alerts were announced and we rushed here,” Tetyana, 49, said as she hugged her two-year-old granddaughter and a small dog in a bomb shelter in central Kyiv.

She added: “I hope they will shoot down all of them. I pray for our air defence.”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said six regions came under enemy attack.

“In Kyiv, more than ten people were injured, as of now, two deaths are known,” he said on Telegram.

“There may be people under the rubble.”

President Zelenskyy also vowed that “terrorists will always feel the consequences of their actions” and paid tribute to the medical and rescue workers.

Parts of Kyiv were without power following the attack, after a downed Russian missile damaged power lines, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

The comments from President Zelenskyy and Mr Zaluzhnyi come amid reports of a rift between them.

Ukraine’s commander-in-chief reportedly refused a request from the president to step down amid an apparent long-running dispute between the two men.

Related posts:

Russian trials show Sputnik V vaccine performs well against COVID variants Wildfires and deaths across southeast Europe amid most severe heatwave in decades Tourists evacuated by boat from holiday resort as Turkey wildfires burn Super trawler spills 100,000 dead fish off French coast Two more hospitals hit by Russian airstrikes in Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr Dozens of bodies wrapped in bags or carpet buried in Mariupol mass grave as Russian shelling continues Ukraine put forward for EU membership Russian pipeline resumes pumping gas to Europe after 10-day shutdown Mother whose daughter’s burns inspired idea among Prince William’s Earthshot Prize finalists People in Taiwan rush to buy badge of Winnie the Pooh being punched Another Russian tanker hit by sea drone near Crimean Bridge, Moscow says Game4Ukraine was about much more than football as Arsenal star hails ‘powerful message sent to world’