Barrage of explosions rock Kyiv: AFP journalists

A series of explosions rocked Kyiv early Wednesday, AFP journalists heard, as Russia keeps up its barrage of attacks on the Ukrainian capital while NATO leaders meet for a summit in Turkey.

A first large blast was heard even before the city's air alert sirens sounded, followed by four more, AFP journalists in the city said.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said warehouses were on fire in one district because of a missile strike, and in another a "non-residential building" was ablaze.

"The enemy is attacking the capital with ballistic missiles. Stay in shelters!" Klitschko wrote on social media.

The latest onslaught comes after Russian strikes -- including multiple missile hits on Kyiv -- killed 30 people in Ukraine on Monday.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in Ankara for the NATO summit, urged Ukraine's backers to step up help for the country's air defences as it struggles with shortages of crucial interceptors to shoot down Russian missiles.

Despite being able to tackle the swarms of Russian drones targeting the country, Ukraine is having difficulties tackling the Kremlin's new strategy of raining ballistic missiles down on Kyiv as its air defences run low.