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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, his spokesman said Thursday, as the death toll from the overnight assault climbed to 15.
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters the attack represents "yet another tragic example of the alarming patterns of escalating strikes against populated areas." Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the rising casualty figure from the strikes on the Ukrainian capital.
Dujarric said Guterres remains "deeply concerned by the continued escalation of this conflict, including onto the territory of the Russian Federation," pointing to the widening geographic scope of strikes on both sides of the war.
The spokesman said attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure constitute a "clear violation" of international humanitarian law and must stop "immediately." Guterres renewed his call for urgent de-escalation, demanding a "full, immediate, and unconditional" ceasefire, according to Dujarric.
Russia and Ukraine have continued trading large-scale long-range strikes despite ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The latest attack on Kyiv comes amid a broader recent escalation in strikes by both sides, with civilian casualties reported in both Russian and Ukrainian territory.
Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow sees little prospect for progress toward a peaceful settlement of the war given Kyiv's current position, underscoring the gap between the diplomatic track and the continued fighting on the ground.
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