A criminal case was opened in Kyiv following the explosion in the city's Hrushevskoho Street on the basis of the article of the Ukrainian Criminal Code dealing with "attempted killing committed using a method posing danger to the lives of many people," the communications department of the Kyiv police said.

"Investigators have begun criminal proceedings on the basis of the article of the Ukrainian Criminal Code dealing with attempted killing committed using a method posing danger to the lives of many people. The police are working to determine the persons involved in the crime," the report said.

Three people have been hospitalized with bodily injuries, the report said. They are being treated. "Information on their condition is being updated," the police said.

Law enforcement officers are working at the site. They examine the territory, determine witness and security cameras that could have recorded the explosion.

Information on the explosion of an unknown object on the Independence Day in central Kyiv was reported to the police on Thursday afternoon. National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov and Ukrainian National Police chief Serhiy Knyazev have visited the site.