STORY: Residents headed for shelters in metro stations as the sky above Kyiv filled with blast clouds and smoke trails.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said there were explosions in the capital's central districts and that emergency services had been dispatched. He urged residents to stay in shelters.

"Emergency services have responded to a call near the centre of the capital. The attack on Kyiv continues. Don't leave the shelters!" he wrote on the Telegram messaging app as residents ran to shelters in metro stations.

The attack came hours after Russia unleashed dozens of missiles and drones on targets across the country in the early hours of Monday.