Waves of Russian drone and missile attacks wounded at least four people in Kyiv in the early morning hours on Tuesday, as many sheltered in subway stations across the Ukrainian capital.

Journalists of The Associated Press heard explosions, including the buzzing of drones, in different parts of the city for hours early Tuesday.

The fresh wave of Russian attacks came hours after Moscow launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment in the three-year war. Ukrainian and Western officials have been anticipating a Russian response to Ukraine's audacious June 1 drone attack on distant Russian air bases.

Plumes of smoke were visible in Kyiv as air defense forces worked to shoot down drones and missiles on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian residents took shelter and slept in metro stations during the hours-long attack. Nina Nosivets, 32, and her 8-month-old son Levko were among them.

“I just try not to think about all this, silently curled up like a mouse, wait until it all passes, the attacks. Distract the child somehow because its probably the hardest thing for him to bear," she said.

AP Video by Vasilisa Stepanenko