Ukraine-Russia war live: Explosions heard in Kyiv as Zelensky says Putin is afraid to use nuclear weapons

Loud explosions rocked Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine this morning as Russia launched several waves of drone attacks on the war-hit nation, military officials said.

“Several enemy UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) are over and near the capital,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, urging people to take cover. Witnesses heard numerous blasts in Kyiv in what sounded like air defence systems in operation and saw objects being hit in the air.

Kyiv, its surrounding region and all eastern parts of Ukraine were under air raid alerts.

This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was afraid to use nuclear weapons because “he loves his life”.

“Nobody knows what’s in his head," Zelensky said in the interview with Fox News. "He could use nuclear (weapons) on any country at any time – or not. (But) I don’t think that he will," he said.

Russia said its forces had repelled six new Ukrainian attempts to enter its western Kursk region – a claim Ukraine has not confirmed. Kyiv still holds a stretch of territory in Kursk after a successful incursion last month.