At least two people were killed in Kyiv early Tuesday after Russia launched a large-scale overnight barrage of missiles and drones against the Ukrainian capital, local officials said.

The attack came on Oct. 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday, and triggered multiple waves of explosions across Kyiv as Ukrainian air defenses responded to the incoming strikes.

The Kyiv City Military Administration said the fatalities were reported in the Darnytskyi district of the capital.

Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv at around 3:15 a.m. local time, with further blasts reported roughly two hours later. Ukrainian Air Force officials had earlier warned that several Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers were approaching the country's borders.

“The missiles are falling one after another. At least 10-12 explosions from what I can count. It's pretty loud in the city center,” Kyiv Independent journalist Tim Zadorozhnyy reported from the capital.

Journalists also reported explosions around Kyiv's Podil district, where flames and thick smoke were seen following the strikes.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a strike hit a non-residential area in the Obolon district, while warehouse facilities were damaged in the Podil district.

Falling missile debris caused a fire in the Shevchenkivskyi district, while a garage caught fire in Darnytskyi, according to local authorities.

The full extent of the casualties and damage was not immediately known.

The overnight assault followed an earlier wave of drone activity. Ukraine's Air Force said drones were approaching Kyiv at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, prompting an air raid alert that remained in effect from 9:09 p.m. until 9:58 p.m.

The Russian attack also affected several other parts of Ukraine.

In Poltava Oblast, a Russian missile reportedly damaged a residential building in the Kremenchuk community.

In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, transport infrastructure was reportedly damaged during the large-scale attack, according to local officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier urged residents to take air raid warnings seriously, saying intelligence indicated that Russia was preparing another large-scale attack.

“Please, please, take care of yourself. Please respond to signals of missile danger,” Zelensky said.

The latest barrage follows a series of Russian attacks targeting Kyiv in recent days, including strikes that damaged vehicles and attacks affecting key infrastructure in and around the capital.

The overnight assault underscores the continuing intensity of Russia's aerial campaign against Ukraine, as Moscow continues to use missiles and drones to strike cities and critical infrastructure far from the front line. (ILKHA)