Air defences shot down all 10 of the Russian Kinzhal missiles, which can fly at 10 times the speed of sound, out of about 100 of various types that were launched, claimed General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's commander-in-chief.

But other missiles got through in Kyiv and in Kharkiv, the provincial capital of the northeastern region. 

In Kyiv and its surrounding region, four people were killed and about 70 were wounded, while in the Kharkiv region, one person was killed and about 60 were hurt, the Interior Ministry said.

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile that is rarely used by Russian forces due to its cost and limited stocks. The barrage fired on Tuesday was the highest number used in one attack since the start of the war, Ukraine Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said.

The latest round of attacks by Russia began on Friday with its largest single assault on Ukraine of the war, as fighting along the 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line has subsided into grinding attrition amid winter. At least 41 civilians were killed since the weekend.

Russia fired almost 100 missiles of various types in the attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X, formerly Twitter. He claimed at least 70 were shot down, almost all of them in the Kyiv area.

Russia's Defence Ministry said it had launched missile and drone strikes on military industrial facilities in and around Kyiv. Depots storing missiles and munitions supplied by the West were also targeted, it said.

In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said that since December 29, Russia has used almost 300 missiles and more than 200 Shahed drones against Ukraine.

The attacks created a desolate morning scene in Kyiv, with most cafes and restaurants remaining closed. Many people opted to stay indoors or seek refuge in shelters as powerful blasts shook the city from early morning. Air raid sirens blared for nearly four hours, and the city's subway stations -- which serve as shelters -- were crowded.