UN Condemns Deadly Russian Airborne Strikes against Ukraine

The United Nations condemned the latest wave of Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities that killed nearly two dozen Ukrainian civilians, a deputy spokesman said Thursday, August 6.

Farhan Haq told reporters that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly condemns” the large-scale Russian attacks, which reportedly killed and injured dozens of civilians and caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure.

“The secretary-general is deeply concerned by the continued escalation of the conflict, including onto the territory of the Russian Federation,” said Haq.

“These latest series of attacks follow an alarming pattern of escalating strikes against populated areas, reportedly resulting in a record-level increase in numbers of civilian casualties and widespread destruction of residential and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as increasingly in the Russian Federation,” he said.

Haq emphasized that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are a “clear violation” of international humanitarian law, and said they must stop “immediately.”

The UN also expressed concern about growing risks to maritime security in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, warning that disruptions could have consequences for global food supplies.

Guterres urged all parties to ensure freedom of navigation in accordance with international law and to protect civilian ports and maritime infrastructure, said Haq.

“The secretary-general reiterates his call for urgent de-escalation, leading to a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire, and for a just, sustainable, and comprehensive peace, in line with international law, including the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions,” he added.

Russian forces pounded Ukraine with ballistic missiles and long-range drones overnight on Tuesday, August 4, killing at least 17 civilians – mainly around Kyiv – and injuring another 44, the UN human rights office in Ukraine reported. For Ukrainians, August began with deadly, daily airborne strikes against civilian homes and infrastructure.

The latest Russian attacks mark an increasingly deadly escalation in the ongoing war, with July marking the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, according to the UN’s aid coordination office (OCHA).

In the first six months of 2026, UN monitors confirmed 1,396 Ukrainian civilians killed and 7,978 injured – a sharp increase from the same period in both 2024 and 2025 as Russia increases long-range strikes past the frontline.

“With no cessation of the attacks, more families have been left devastated, displaced or struggling to rebuild their lives,” said Matthias Schmale, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator and top official in Ukraine.

Many people were killed overnight on a railway platform in the Brovarskyi district, near Kyiv

Elsewhere in the country, aerial attacks and drone strikes hit the cities of Kramatorsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, killing and injuring dozens and destroying homes, schools, public transportation infrastructure, water systems and humanitarian warehouses.

“The increasing use of ballistic missiles and other long-range weapons in populated areas is contributing to rising civilian casualties and widespread damage to homes, businesses and other civilian infrastructure,” said Danielle Bell, the UN’s human rights chief in Ukraine.