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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Alahna Kindred

Russia launches fresh airstrikes on Kyiv during UN Secretary General's visit

Vladimir Putin's forces fired two missiles in Kyiv this evening as the UN Secretary-General visited the Ukrainian capital.

One of the missiles struck the lower floors of a residential building, injuring at least three people, Ukrainian officials said.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the blasts had hit a central part of the city and three people were taken to hospital.

Svetlana Vodolaga, press secretary of the State Emergency Service, said the other missile had hit an unnamed facility near the residential building.

Both Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said these were Russian missiles.

Eyewitnesses had earlier reported the sound of two blasts.

Two missiles were launched at Kyiv this evening (Getty Images)

Today, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was in Kyiv visiting sites that had been destroyed in the conflict.

He later gave a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mykhaylo Podolyak, a senior aide to Zelensky, tweeted: "Missile strikes in the downtown of Kyiv during the official visit of @antonioguterres.

"The day before he was sitting at a long table in the Kremlin, and today explosions are above his head."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands at a joint news conference this afternoon (REUTERS)

Speaking today, Mr Guterres said it was imperative to save those from the "apocalypse" in Mariupol.

He said: "As we keep pushing for a full-scale ceasefire, we will also keep striving for immediate practical steps to save lives and reduce human suffering.

"Effective humanitarian corridors. Local cessations of hostilities. Safe passage for civilian and supply routes.

"Today, the people of Mariupol are in desperate need for just such an approach. Mariupol is a crisis within a crisis.

Smoke rises after an explosion at sunset in Kyiv (Getty Images)

"Thousands of civilians need life-saving assistance. Many are elderly, in need of medical care or have limited mobility.

"They need an escape route out of the apocalypse."

Earlier today, Mr Guterres was seen walking around Kyiv and later shared an image on Twitter with the caption: "War is evil".

Mr Guterres' visit to Kyiv comes after he sat face to face with Putin in Moscow.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during his visit in Borodianka, outside Kyiv today (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Guterres said they discussed ways to provide humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians from conflict zones, specifically Mariupol.

Mr Guterres also spoke with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about finding ways to come to a ceasefire.

He later told reporters it was "clear that there are two different positions on what is happening in Ukraine".

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