UN chief 'strongly condemns' Russia's missile, drone strikes on Ukrainian territories

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday "strongly" condemned Russia's latest wave of large-scale missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, which reportedly killed at least eight people and caused widespread damage across several regions.

"The Secretary-General strongly condemns today's large-scale missile and drone strikes by the Russian Federation on several Ukrainian regions, reportedly killing at least six people in the capital Kyiv and two people in the city of Chornomorsk," his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement.

The statement also noted that the strikes caused "many injuries among civilians and damage to residential and energy infrastructure, as well as damage to the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Kyiv," adding that such attacks "violate international humanitarian law."

"They are unacceptable, wherever they occur, and must end immediately. The Secretary-General recalls the principle of the inviolability of diplomatic premises," the statement said.

Guterres further repeated "his call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as a first step towards a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in Ukraine, one that fully upholds Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions. "

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kyiv was hit by debris from an Iskander missile targeting the city.

He reported that around 430 drones and 18 missiles, including ballistic and aeroballistic types, were used in the attack, damaging dozens of residential buildings in the capital and hitting multiple regions.

Zaporizhzhia regional governor Ivan Fedorov also said 731 strikes hit 20 settlements, killing four people.

Russia, meanwhile, said that 216 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across several regions and over the Black Sea.