The large-scale bombardment comes at critical moment on the battlefield, with Russian forces advancing in the east and growing concerns over future US aid after US Donald Trump's victory in presidential elections.

AFP journalists heard explosions ring out over the city and saw dozens of Kyiv residents seeking shelter in an underground metro station in the centre of the capital.

Kyiv officials said one man was wounded by falling debris of a downed drone in the suburb of Brovary while emergency services distributed images of firefighters battling flames at one impact site.

A separate drone attack in the southern region of Kherson, which the Kremlin claims is part of Russia, killed a 52-year-old woman, the head of the Black Sea territory announced.

Multiple air raid sirens rang out from (0430 GMT), as authorities announced missiles were closing in on Kyiv.

"As missiles were approaching Kyiv, the enemy simultaneously launched a ballistic missile attack on the capital. The enemy attack ended with another drone strike," city authorities said.

The attack came during a week of escalating strikes on Ukrainian cities mainly in the south of the war-battered country.

A Russian strike one day earlier on the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky killed a 32-year-old mother and her three children.

Last week, Moscow and Kyiv launched record overnight drone attacks on each other.

Ukraine, for months, has been appealing to its Western allies to provide more air defence systems to fend off Russian attacks on cities and critical infrastructure.