Ukraine reported on Wednesday a record number of new coronavirus deaths and daily hospitalisations as authorities struggled to accelerate a vaccine rollout.

-The situation with coronavirus disease remains quite tense- Health Minister Maksym Stepanov told a daily briefing.

On Wednesday, the ex-Soviet state reported 11,226 new coronavirus cases and 407 deaths, a new daily high.

The number of people hospitalised was also set a daily record, at 5,558, a major burden for Ukraine's ageing healthcare system.

The country of 40 million launched a nationwide vaccination campaign in late February, later than most European countries, following delays that sparked criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky's policies.

More than 230,000 people have so far received a first dose.

Ukraine has received 500,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine marketed under the name Covishield and produced in India.

Many Ukrainians, including healthcare workers who are first in line to receive the vaccine, are sceptical of Covishield, which has been criticised on social media for being produced in India rather than the West.

Ukraine has also received 215,000 doses of China's CoronaVac vaccine but its rollout is not expected to begin before next week.

Since the start of the pandemic Ukraine has recorded over 1.6 million coronavirus infections and more than 32,000 deaths.