KYIV, Ukraine — Explosions rang out over the Ukrainian capital on Monday and AFP journalists witnessed air defence batteries fending off a barrage of Russian projectiles during a rare daytime attack on Kyiv.

 

Russian forces have stepped up long-range drone and missile attacks over recent months, mainly targeting energy facilities.

 

The barrage comes as US-led efforts to bring Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table appear to have been derailed by the US-Israeli war with Iran.

 

"Drone debris has fallen in the very centre of the capital city. There are no fires or casualties. The enemy attack on Kyiv continues," mayor Vitaliy Klitschko wrote on social media, as more explosions echoed over the city.

 

AFP journalists saw flashes and clouds of smoke, as residents of the capital sought cover during rush hour.

 

The Ukrainian air force meanwhile warned of a "high-speed target" aimed at Kyiv coming from the north of the country, which borders Russia.

 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sparked the bloodiest war in Europe since World War II, forcing the displacement of millions and killing hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians on both sides.