Two police wounded in apparent Kyiv court suicide bombing

Two police officers were wounded in a Kyiv district court on Wednesday as a man who was brought to attend a hearing blew himself up, officials said.

There were at least two explosions at Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district court. Authorities did not say that the blasts were linked to Ukraine's war effort.

"An offender died at the scene. According to preliminary information, he blew himself up," Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on social media.

Two law enforcement officers were wounded as they stormed the premises, Klymenko added.

"Their lives were saved by their shields," he added.

The suspect was identified as Igor Gumenyuk. He was detained in 2015 in connection with the deaths of four national guardsmen.

The court was cordoned off and there were a number of ambulances outside, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Two ambulances were seen leaving the court building. Around 20 armed policemen in helmets were seen entering the premises.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said that law enforcement in the capital Kyiv were responding to reports of an explosion at a district court and emergency services were responding on the scene.

Later, an AFP correspondent heard another explosion.

Kyiv has been under heightened security since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year and a curfew remains in place during the night.

"According to preliminary information, an unidentified device was detonated by a man who was brought to the court hearing," Klymenko said earlier.

Kyiv City Military Administration said an explosion occurred at 17:20 local time (1520 GMT) while a defendant was being escorted by law enforcement to the courtroom.

The General Prosecutor's Office said that a man who had been taken to a court hearing had detonated an explosive device as he attempted to "escape from custody" when he was in a restroom.

Klymenko urged residents of the capital not to approach the site and to allow first responders to carry out their work. "Details are being established," he added.