Series of blasts heard in Kyiv as Russia restarts attacks following ceasefire pause

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a damaged residential building following a Russian strike in Kyiv on September 3, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. — AFP pic

First Published: Tuesday, 08 Sep 2026 10:29 AM MYT

KYIV, Sept 8 — A series of strong explosions rang out in Kyiv, AFP journalists said early today, as Russia resumed strikes on the Ukrainian capital after a three-day halt.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the ceasefire as US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the Russian and Ukrainian capitals at the weekend.

The latest explosions triggered car alarms in the city centre, the journalists said, after the Kyiv city military administration declared an air raid alert.

The city’s military administration reported a missile attack and urged residents to take shelter.

According to the authorities, buildings were hit in Kyiv as well as in the Boryspil and Fastiv districts, while an AFP journalist saw plumes of smoke and the glow of a fire. — AFP