Russian missiles land on Ukraine capital Kyiv

Di Ukrainian capital Kyiv don dey targeted by further Russian air attacks, wey one official describe as "exceptional in density".

Ukraine say dem shoot all 18 missiles down and footage show air defences dey destroy targets over di city.

But Russia say im attack – wey dem use drones and missiles – don hit all im targets.

Moscow don step up im air campaign in recent weeks, ahead of one expected Ukrainian offensive.

Di air raid alert sound at around 02:30 local time (23:30 GMT Monday) and dem lift am two hours later for di eighth attack to hit di capital dis month.

Dem hear one unusually high number of loud explosions for di city centre, as authorities tell residents for online messages say dem don activate air defence.

Di head of Ukraine armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhny, say Russia attack Kyiv from di north, south and east and say 18 air, sea and land-based missiles na im dem use.

Serhiy Popko, head of di Ukrainian capital military administration, describe di barrage as di "maximum number of attack missiles for di shortest period of time".

"According to preliminary information, dem detect di vast majority of enemy targets for di airspace of Kyiv and destroy dem," e add.

Gen Zaluzhny say e include nine Kalibr cruise missiles, wey dem launch from ships for di Black Sea, and three land-based missiles.

E add say Kyiv also destroy six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, wey dey capable of reaching speeds of more than 11,000kmh (7,000mph).

Russia don claim am in di past say no air defence systems for di world fit take am out..

Hypersonic weapons dey harder to defend against sake of dia speed as well as di fact say dem dey fly at low altitudes - beyond di line of sight of ground-based radars - and fit manoeuvre mid-flight.

Ukraine say e don down Kinzhal for di first time last week during one earlier attack on Kyiv.

If dis claims dey true, Moscow go dey feel frustrated say dem fit stop di finest weapons from im missile fleet. Dis one dey in large part due to di arrival of modern Western defence systems, including Patriots.

Russia don claim dem don take out one Patriot system during Tuesday attack on Kyiv. Di BBC no fit independently verify di claims wey di two kontris don make.

Dem warn residents on Tuesday to stay away from windows as scata-scata from missiles wey dem intercept fall from di sky.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko say di rocket debris fall for central districts, including on di city zoo. No animal or worker injure.

Reports say di Solomyansky district, wey include di international airport, na di hardest hit.

Oga Popko say dem don since put out one fire wey break out for one non-residential area for di district.

Kyiv resident Kseniia tell BBC Radio 4 Today programme say she and her husband bin dey sleep wen dem hear "series of very loud explosions" above dia building. She compare di level of di attack to one Star Wars film or one action video game.

She also say thanks to di support of im international allies, Ukraine now dey capable of tracking down and destroying high calibre missiles.

"Na such a relief to know say Kyiv dey under such strong defence right now".

Anoda resident, Yevhen Petrov, say Tuesday attack na di first time since Russia invasion of Ukraine for February 2022 wey im house don shake from di force of any assault.

Russia resumption of strikes on Kyiv earlier dis month dey come afta calm of ova 50 days. Di Ukrainian authorities believe say di strategy of Moscow na to weak di air defence systems, wey dem don dey use stop most of di missiles and drones wey Russia dey fire.

In di past few days, President Volodymyr Zelensky don dey on one European tour, wia Western allies don promise am plenty billion dollars' worth of military equipment, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Emmanuel Macron of France.

Since Russia invade Ukraine, thousands of civilians and combatants don die or injure, cities and towns don kpafuka for di fighting, and nearly 8.2 million Ukrainians n aim dem don register as refugees for Europe, wit 2.8 million of dem for Russia.