A pall of acrid smoke hung over Kyiv on Friday morning following a night of intensive Russian strikes - the hours of darkness once again punctuated by the staccato of air defence guns, buzz of drones and large explosions.

After a phone call between Russian president Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, Russian forces launched a massive attack on Kyiv, emphasizes the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha.

The president repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he would bring an end to the war in the first 24 hours of his second term.