Ruh, the missile strike on Ukra Kiwu...Fourteen people.

Russia has launched a missile strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, causing 14 casualties.

Ukraine's air force said Russian forces intercepted five short-range ballistic missiles Iskander fired into Kyiv early on the 20th local time.

Authorities in Kyiv said the airstrike killed one person and injured 13 others, and damaged gas and heating pipes cut off heat to more than 600 residential buildings, medical facilities and schools.

Missile debris also fell throughout the city, damaging buildings housing six foreign embassies, including Argentina and Portugal, St. Nicholas Cathedral, and the National University.

Russia's defence ministry said the strikes were in retaliation for Ukraine's attack on the country's southern Rostov border area two days ago with long-range missiles backed by the U.S. and Britain.

Earlier, Russian President Putin told an annual news conference that the situation was changing dramatically as Russian forces continued to advance and that they were close to achieving their goals.