UN chief condemns overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities

This was said to journalists by the Secretary-General's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, Ukrinform's correspondent in New York reports.

The spokesman said that the Secretary-General strongly condemned the overnight missile and drone attack by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the capital, Kyiv, and other Ukrainian cities.

Dujarric noted that at least 20 people were known to have been killed and dozens injured at that point, and that civilian infrastructure had been hit.

He added that Guterres had stressed that any attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure were a clear violation of international humanitarian law and had to be stopped immediately.

According to Dujarric, the Secretary-General once again called for urgent de-escalation and a complete, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire.

Dujarric also noted that, according to the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, the latest strikes were part of a deadly pattern of attacks on densely populated areas of Ukraine carried out by the Russian army.

According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, from December last year to May this year, the number of civilian casualties increased by 40% compared with the same period a year earlier, Dujarric said.

As Ukrinform reported, on July 2 Russian forces launched a massive attack on Kyiv with drones and missiles. Damage was recorded in all districts of the city. The residential building in the Darnytskyi district suffered the most destruction.

According to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, there were direct hits on at least 20 residential buildings in the capital.

According to the latest data, 23 people have been killed in Kyiv.