Heartbreaking moment grieving gran weeps over body of granddaughter, 9, as three killed in Russian airstrike on Kyiv

A GRIEVING gran was pictured weeping as she stood over the body of her nine-year-old granddaughter who was killed as Russia unleashed another overnight blitz on Kyiv.

Ukraine said at least three are dead and 14 others were injured when the capital was battered by a fresh aerial bombardment last night.

Terrified residents were woken by air raid sirens in the early hours as Vladimir Putin launched a series of deadly ground-launched missiles.

A nine-year-old girl and her mum, 24, were tragically killed in the strikes as they desperately tried to seek safety in a shelter.

Yaroslav Ryabchuk told Reuters his wife rushed out with their daughter and ran to the entrance - but it was already closed.

He said: "There were already maybe five to 10 women with children.

"No one opened up for them. They knocked loudly enough."

The child's grandmother was seen being propped up by emergency services as she visited the youngster's covered body.

She lent on one responder as she heartbreakingly wept after being devasted by the double loss.

A 33-year-old woman also died, officials said, while mayor Vitaly Klitschko confirmed that over a dozen people had been wounded.

It marks the 18th deadly attack on Kyiv this month alone - and is the highest casualty toll so far.

Klitschko said the three victims were killed near a medical clinic that was damaged as rockets rained down on the city last night.

He explained: "A rocket fragment fell near the entrance to the clinic four minutes after the air alert was announced.

"And people headed for the shelter."

The former pro boxer said the invasion is "not a war but genocide against the Ukrainian people from Russia."

Klitschko told Sky News: "We are fighting not just for our homeland. We are fighting for democracy, for human rights.

"Russia doesn't have that. Everyone in Ukraine is a target from the Russians.

"If anyone doesn't agree with Russia then they are an enemy. Russian politics is terrorist politics. You see the impact here."

In a Telegram post, he said a "series of explosions" had erupted across Ukraine, and warned people this had caused falling debris and fires.

Buildings bore the brunt of the damage, with an apartment block, a kindergarten, three schools and a medical clinic being hit.

Teams of rescuers were pictured tending to the injured surrounded by rubble and debris.

A water pipeline and numerous cars were also destroyed as explosions rang out across Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday.

Ukraine's General Staff claimed that the Air Force intercepted all 10 rockets, which it identified as short-range ballistic Iskander missiles.

This family of missiles are designed to hit targets at relatively close range and are regularly deployed against Nato forces by Russia.

But despite shooting them down, the debris landed in numerous residential areas across a range of districts.

The remains of a missile fell on a children's hospital and a multistory building in the Desnianskyi District, while two schools and a police department were also damaged.

In the Dniprovskyi District, burning debris landed on a residential building causing a plume of thick smoke to engulf the area.

The blast wave blew out the windows, parked cars caught fire, and debris fell onto the roadway and courtyards.

Kyiv residents have been urged to take heed of warning sirens and stay in shelters as Russia amps up its bombardment.

A woman was killed earlier this week while watching an aerial attack unfold from her balcony in the capital.

A message to residents warned: "You've got to be vigilant, as ballistic missiles fly at incredible speeds.

RUSSIA RETALIATE

"From the moment the alarm is announced to the rockets arrival, you have only a few seconds!"

Russia has been ploughing Ukraine with fearsome kamikaze drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles in recent weeks.

Experts believe Moscow is heavily targeting Kyiv to deplete its supplies ahead of a long-expected counter-offensive by Ukraine.

Dramatic video captured the moment a Russian missile plummeted from the sky onto a busy Kyiv motorway packed with cars.

Dashcam footage showed the missile debris falling from the sky as it crashed into traffic while drivers desperately swerved the obstacle.

But Putin was left red-faced last month when Ukraine claimed to have downed his "unstoppable" hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.

Ukrainian chiefs have now warned the country could face nuclear attacks after drones blitzed Moscow.

A wave of kamikaze flying bombs targeted posh suburbs of the Russian capital where Putin and his cronies have luxury retreats.

The unmanned air strikes came hours after a Ukrainian commander vowed to avenge the latest of a string of Russian air raids on Kyiv.

But Ukraine denied any involvement amid fears that the attacks were another "false flag" ruse ordered by Putin himself to enable him to escalate the conflict.

The Kremlin went on to directly accuse Ukraine of targeting Russia - a claim which backs Putin’s lie that Ukraine and the West are bent on destroying his motherland.

Putin said Ukraine was attempting "to intimidate Russia, Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings".