Russia, Ukraine trade fire amid rallies in Kyiv over leadership change

Moscow has unleashed another round of ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday in the wake of Ukraine's major drone strikes against Russian cities that killed at least nine people.

Meanwhile, thousands of people took to the streets in Kyiv for the third day to decry the surprise dismissal of Ukrainian defense minister.

The overnight Russian air raid on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that involved 41 missiles and 125 attack drones resulted in at least one fatality. Around 16 others were injured.

Blasts echoed across the city from 1:30am local time, damaging residential buildings, office and industrial sites and a dormitory, according to Ukraine's State Emergency.

Russia's defense ministry claimed they targeted a range of military-related sites including plants producing Flamingo drones and Neptune guided missiles, as well as a postal terminal.

Kyiv firefighters raced to contain the flames sparked by the attacks in Solomyanski, Desnianskyi and Dnipro districts.

Four residents were pulled from a burning private home in Sviatoshynskyi, while some others were rescued from a three-storey building on fire in the Shevchenkivskyi district.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked that Ukrainian forces have successfully struck targets near Moscow and in Tambov region that were elements of Russian logistics.

Russian officials confirmed nine people lost their lives and over 60 others sustained wounds as two sprawling Wildberries warehouses in Tambov and Elektrostal came under attack.

Images released by the Russian online retailer showed massive plumes of smoke towering over the facility.

Zelenskyy said they also pound another oil depot in Noginsk just north of Elektrostal, which prompted the evacuation of a nearby maternity hospital, and hit sites in the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

The president called it an "important operation," saying his country will have more capabilities for medium-range strikes.

Meanwhile, thousands of Ukrainians swarmed the streets on Saturday to protest against Zelenskyy's dismissal of the popular defense minister Myakhailo Fedorov.

Some were chanting "Government is people!" and "Fedorov is our hope!" as they called for a more modern approach to warfare.

Fedorov, the 35-year-old tech wizard who has been partly credited with Ukraine's war with Russia, was not reappointed in the recent government reshuffle.

Zelenskyy said he had to step in since the rift between Fedorov and commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, noting he had asked Yevhen Khmara, acting head of the state's security service, to take over the defense minister's duties for now.