Kyivans advised to stay inside as fires from battles rage

Kyiv’s city council is asking residents to keep their windows closed and not to venture outside due to heavy smoke enveloping part of the city from heavy fighting in the area.

It says the smoke is coming from large fires in the Svyatoshinsky and Holosiyivsʹkyy districts, to the west and south of the city.

“The city authorities urge the citizens to keep the windows closed, especially at night and in the evening. Also, if possible, don’t stay in the open air. The air conditioning and air purification systems should be switched on if available,” it says in a statement on Telegram.

The warning comes amid increasingly strident warnings over alleged Russian plans to use chemical weapons.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian interior ministry reports that a high-rise apartment building in the Vyshgorod region north of Kyiv was hit by a missile. There are no reported fatalities.