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UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres condemned the attacks, which significantly damaged homes and represents the latest in frequent Russian attacks on populated areas.<\/p>\n
In Kyiv\u2019s Solomianskyi district, the strikes set ablaze the upper floors of a nine-story apartment building<\/strong>, killing seven people there<\/strong> and causing the mayor to declare a day of mourning, according to media reports.<\/p>\n Across the area, about 20 residential buildings, a school, a children\u2019s hospital and a kindergarten were also significantly damaged<\/strong>, local news outlets reported.<\/p>\n \u201cAttacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are a clear violation of international humanitarian law<\/strong>, wherever they occur, and they must stop immediately,\u201d UN Spokesperson St\u00e9phane Dujarric said on Thursday.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In recent days, Ukraine has launched several of its biggest drone attacks inside Russian territory since the invasion began in 2022<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A man was seriously wounded in Russia\u2019s Ulyanovsk region. In the Belgorod region, a drone strike hit a vehicle, injuring two civilians, Russian media reported.<\/p>\n Following Thursday\u2019s attacks on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a failure by the country\u2019s allies to replenish its stock of air defence missiles was costing civilian lives, according to news reports.<\/p>\n In the first six months of 2026, UN monitors confirmed 1,396 Ukrainian civilians killed and 7,978 injured. According to the UN\u2019s humanitarian aid office (OCHA) July marked the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022<\/strong> \u2013 the first full month of the war.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s deadly strikes and was struck by the damage he saw.<\/p>\nUkrainian forces strike Russia<\/strong><\/h2>\n
UN calls for urgent de-escalation<\/strong><\/h2>\n