At least four civilians were killed and 15 others wounded as a result of an airstrike by Russian forces in Ukraine's central Kiev region, the regional administration said in a statement on Friday.

All casualties occurred in a villages in Vyshgorod district on the northern outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, the statement said.

The National Guard, the National Police and the Territorial Defense continue to repel the offensive of the Russian forces, it said.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized "a special military operation" in Ukraine.