Kyiv's central district rocked by blasts second time in week

The central Shevchenkivskyi district of Ukraine's capital was rocked by blasts early on Monday for the second time in a week, with Mayor Vitalii Klitshchko saying several residential buildings were damaged.

At least one person was killed following a series of Russian drone attacks that struck a residential building in the centre of the city.

"The remains of one woman was recovered from the rubble of a house in Shevchenkivskyi district, where an explosion occurred as a result of a drone attack. Another person is under the rubble. Three people were hospitalised," Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Shevchenkivskiy district, a busy hub with universities, student bars and restaurants, was hit by several explosions on Monday last week when Russia ordered the biggest aerial offensive against Ukrainian cities in retaliation for a blast on a bridge linking mainland Russia to Crimea.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president's staff, said the attacks were carried out with so-called suicide drones.

"Russians think this will help them, but such actions are just their convulsions," Yermak said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin has not commented.

Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.