Destroyed cars are seen at the site of a shopping centre after it was hit in a military strike in Kyiv. Reuters

At least eight people are reported to have died after a Russian missile attack on a central Kyiv district destroyed a shopping centre overnight, with rescue teams still combing the rubble for survivors.

The force of the explosion shattered every window in a neighbouring tower and in the distance, the sound of artillery rang out as firefighters picked their way through the destruction in the densely populated Podil area.

According to the latest intelligence from the British ministry of defence, Russian troops moving towards Kyiv in a bid to capture it are stalled more than 25km away.

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Russia demands Mariupol lay down arms, warns of humanitarian 'catastrophe'

Ukrainians told to shelter after leak at ammonia plant

Meanwhile, in the southern city of Mariupol, Ukraine has refused to surrender to Russia following the ongoing siege of the strategic port.

In an ultimatum, Russia had asked residents to lay down arms and raise white flags by 5am on Monday, signalling conceding of control to Moscow.

Firefighters are seen inside the Retroville shopping mall after a Russian attack in Kyiv on Monday. AFP

Sanctions imposed on Russia, which have included airspace bans, revocation of operating licenses and severing of supply lines of aircraft parts, have decimated the country’s aviation sector.

And now Sheremetyevo International Airport, by far Russia’s busiest hub, has announced plans to furlough nearly half its workforce.

Ukrainian woman sheltering baby badly injured

Olga managed to shield her six-week-old infant from shrapnel which struck her home in Kyiv but in the process she was gravely injured.

The 27-year-old Ukrainian mother said she had just woken up to feed baby Victoria and covered her with a blanket when the Russian missile struck her house.

She thought her baby had been hit in the attack when she saw blood gushing out.

The site of a destroyed shopping centre is seen after it was hit in a military strike in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters

“I was wounded in the head, and blood started flowing. And it all flowed on the baby,” she told Reuters.

Fall of Mariupol would be seen as ‘major strategic success’

The fall of Mariupol to Russia would be seen as a “major strategic success” by the Kremlin, a former commander of UK Joint Forces Command has said, as fighting rages in the city.

Mariupol has suffered heavy bombardment for weeks, costing at least 2,500 civilian lives.

Sir Richard Barrons told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 that if the battle for Mariupol was won by the Russians, a landbridge from Russia to Crimea would be formed, “and they will see this as a major strategic success”.

He added that Russia has shown that it will pound strategic areas to “rubble” to take them, according to the Independent.

“If you look at the method they have adopted, where this really matters to them, and they couldn’t walk in, they couldn’t drive in with a tank – they’ve pounded it to rubble.