Explosions were heard in Kiev during the early hours of Friday, with a Ukrainian official saying that the “attack” on the capital has “resumed” with cruise or ballistic missiles, writes The Independent.

Russian forces are advancing closer towards Kiev, a senior US defence official has warned, amid fighting at Hostomel airport just outside the capital, and the loss of Chernobyl, 100km to the north, to Vladimir Putin’s forces on Thursday evening.

Ukraine’s military says Russia has already moved more than 60 battalion tactical groups across the border – each with roughly 700-900 troops. In a post on Facebook, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russian troops were launching “full-scale aggression against Ukraine”.