Fire erupts in central Kyiv after explosion: AFP reporter

A fire broke out in central Kyiv on Wednesday after an explosion during an air raid alert, an AFP reporter saw.

The journalist heard a detonation and saw a cloud of smoke and flames. Fire crews and ambulances arrived promptly at the scene.

About 50 minutes after the first blast, AFP journalists witnessed a second explosion near the initial impact site, with debris hurled into the air.

In the streets, residents were making their way to shelters, carrying sleeping mats under their arms.

The capital suffers frequent deadly air strikes, more than four years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram: "A fire is raging on the roof of a three-story non-residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district."

He later added that there was also a fire "on the roof of a hotel" in the same district.

"The attack on the capital is ongoing. Stay in shelters!"

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier on Wednesday that he was rushing home from a visit to Dublin due to intelligence reports that Russia was about to launch a massive attack.

"I urge our people to be especially careful, to protect themselves, their children, and, of course, their families; to use shelters and heed air raid alerts in Ukraine -- this is very important," he told a news conference.

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin "has been preparing this massive strike against Ukraine for some time now."

US efforts have so far failed to broker an end to Europe's worst conflict since World War II.