Explosions heard in Kyiv after air raid alerts issued across several Ukrainian regions

KYIV, Ukraine — Explosions were heard in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Thursday after air raid alerts were issued for the city and several surrounding regions, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation's electronic map data. Alerts covered Kyiv city and the broader Kyiv region, as well as parts of the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Authorities urged civilians to move to shelters and follow safety measures. Kiev's city administration said air defense systems were preparing to respond to possible incoming targets, without providing further details on the nature of the explosions or whether any projectiles had been intercepted. The alerts came as Russian forces continued air and missile strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and military facilities. Russian and Ukrainian officials have traded blame over repeated attacks on civilian and energy targets since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with each side accusing the other of targeting non-military sites. No immediate information on casualties or damage in Kyiv was provided in the latest reports. No further details were immediately available.