Russia, using missiles and drones, launched one of the biggest assaults on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, since the beginning of the war more than three years ago and hours after a prisoner exchange began.

The assault came amid a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv. Russia and Ukraine on Saturday completed a significant prisoner exchange of hundreds of soldiers and civilians after Friday's first stage of the deal was reached following talks last week in Istanbul.

Ukraine’s capital has came under a large-scale combined drone and missile attack, with explosions and machine gun fire heard throughout the city