Russia attacked cities in a wide arc across Ukraine early on Friday extending from the capital, Kyiv, through central and southern regions and at least two people were killed, according to media and officials.
“A young woman and a three-year-old child have been killed,” Borys Filatov, mayor of the central city of Dnipro, said on Telegram. Filatov gave no further details.
Pictures on social media showed an apartment building ablaze in the central town of Uman.
Kyiv was also rocked by explosions and air raid sirens and explosions were reported across the country, according to the Interfax Ukraine and reports on social media channels.
There were no details on what had been struck in Kyiv or of any damage and casualties. The city’s military administration said anti-aircraft units were in operation.
Interfax said explosions were also reported after midnight in Dnipro, Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine and in Mykolaiv in the south.
Interfax quoted accounts on the Telegram message service assaying unidentified airborne objects were also headed for the west of the country.
The attacks come a day after the Kremlin said it would welcome anything that could bring the end of the conflict closer, referring to a telephone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday.
It was the first time the leaders had spoken since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.
