Ajax were joined by Young Boys, who stunned Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 away for a 3-2 aggregate win over the Croatians, and AEK Athens, who scraped a 1-1 home draw with Vidi after a 2-1 win in the first leg in Hungary.
Dynamo Kyiv piled on the pressure in the opening 10 minutes at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex as Benjamin Verbič forced a good save from Ajax goalkeeper André Onana, but the home side soon fizzled out as the visitors displayed superior skill.
The home team’s keeper Denys Boyko pulled off a string of superb stops after Dušan Tadić hit the post with a 14th-minute penalty and Ajax rattled the woodwork again shortly after the break as Hakim Ziyech’s free kick cannoned off the crossbar.
Boyko produced another fine save to deny Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in the closing stages but Dynamo lacked any bite up front and never came close to overhauling the overall two-goal deficit.
Young Boys reached the money-spinning group stage of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time after 34-year-old striker Guillaume Hoarau scored twice in two minutes midway through the second half to silence a packed Stadion Maksimir.
Dinamo seemed to be in the driving seat after Bosnia winger Izet Hajrović fired them ahead in the seventh minute, sweeping home a rebound after the visitors failed to clear a fizzing low cross by Daniel Olmo.
Former PSG player Hoarau levelled with a 64th-minute penalty and with the home side rattled, he turned the tie on its head when he prodded the ball home from close range after a corner was headed into his path.
AEK, who last played in the group stage in the 2006-2007 season, had a seemingly simple task after their win in Hungary but were forced to hang on in a dramatic finish of the return leg in Athens.
Petros Mantalos gave AEK a 48th-minute lead with a penalty, but the Greek side barely advanced after Loïc Nego equalised on the night with a delightful lob and the home side’s Hélder Lopes was sent off in the 81st minute.
In Wednesday’s return legs, Salzburg are at home to Red Star Belgrade after a goalless stalemate in the Serbian capital, PSV Eindhoven defend a 3-2 lead at home against BATE Borisov, while PAOK and Benfica lock horns following a 1-1 draw in Lisbon.