Russian missiles kill 17 more in Ukraine as Guterres calls for ceasefire

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attacks, which significantly damaged homes and represents the latest in frequent Russian attacks on populated areas.

In Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district, the strikes set ablaze the upper floors of a nine-story apartment building, killing seven people there and causing the mayor to declare a day of mourning, according to media reports.

Across the area, about 20 residential buildings, a school, a children’s hospital and a kindergarten were also significantly damaged, local news outlets reported.

“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are a clear violation of international humanitarian law, wherever they occur, and they must stop immediately,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Thursday.

Ukrainian forces strike Russia

Russian air defences intercepted and destroyed 726 Ukrainian drones over mainland Russia, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, according to news reports.

In recent days, Ukraine has launched several of its biggest drone attacks inside Russian territory since the invasion began in 2022.

A man was seriously wounded in Russia’s Ulyanovsk region. In the Belgorod region, a drone strike hit a vehicle, injuring two civilians, Russian media reported.

Following Thursday’s attacks on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a failure by the country’s allies to replenish its stock of air defence missiles was costing civilian lives, according to news reports.

In the first six months of 2026, UN monitors confirmed 1,396 Ukrainian civilians killed and 7,978 injured. According to the UN’s humanitarian aid office (OCHA) July marked the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022 – the first full month of the war.

UN calls for urgent de-escalation

UN relief chief Tom Fletcher, who visited Ukraine for World Humanitarian Day and is still in Kyiv meeting senior officials, said he witnessed the aftermath of Thursday’s deadly strikes and was struck by the damage he saw.

The UN and its humanitarian partners responded to the attacks by working with emergency services and municipal workers to provide first aid and psychological first aid, hot meals and construction material, and humanitarian cash assistance.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for an urgent de-escalation, leading to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire and for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace,” Mr. Dujarric said.