Photo UN/M. Elias Open meeting of the UN Security Council on the issue of maintaining international peace and security. Photo from the archive The UN Security Council met for an emergency meeting on Ukraine Peace and Security
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Security Council of the risk of an “uncontrollable escalation” of war against Ukraine following one of the largest Russian air attacks since the full-scale invasion began.
“Stop the Death Spiral”
Speaking at a Security Council meeting on Thursday, the UN chief said the strikes carried out by Russia on the night of May 23-24 “underscore the gravity of the current moment.”
“The current course is unacceptable. The trajectory of movement must change. The death spiral must stop,” Guterres said, calling for “immediate and sustained de-escalation” as well as a “complete and unconditional ceasefire.”
The meeting was initiated by Ukraine with the support of European members of the Security Council – Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia and Great Britain. In a letter to the Security Council, Kyiv declared “a new level of Russian aggression.” According to the Ukrainian side, Kiev suffered the most devastating blow during the entire war. UN.
According to these data, on the night of May 23-24, Russian armed forces launched strikes on several regions of Ukraine, including using the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile, which hit the city of Bila Tserkva in the central part of the country. “This is the third known case of the use of these weapons by the Russian Federation against Ukraine,” Khiari noted.
In total, Russia reportedly used 90 long-range missiles and 600 drones in this massive attack. At least five people were killed and more than 110 were injured as a result of the attacks, he said. The most severe consequences were recorded in Kyiv, where more than two million residents “heard explosions for over seven hours.” Dozens of residential buildings were damaged. UNESCO also reported damage to more than 30 cultural sites.
The residence of the Albanian ambassador and the complex where UN staff work were damaged by falling debris in central Kyiv, Khiari said. None of them were injured.
Casualties among civilians
Since February 2022, more than 15 thousand civilians have been killed in Ukraine, including almost 800 children. At the same time, as the Secretary-General noted in his speech, the number of civilian deaths in the first four months of 2026 was higher than in the same periods in 2025, 2024 and 2023.
“The front line is virtually frozen, while swarms of drones are causing heavy casualties. Civilian infrastructure is being destroyed on a massive scale, especially energy infrastructure,” Guterres said.
He warned of the risk of miscalculations and further escalation with “unknown and unintended consequences.”
He also said that Russian authorities say there is an increase in the number of civilian casualties as a result of suspected Ukrainian strikes. According to available data, on May 25, two civilians were killed in the Belgorod and Bryansk regions of Russia.
Threat of further escalation
Khiari, for his part, expressed concern about recent statements by Russian authorities about their intention to carry out “systematic strikes” on Ukrainian defense enterprises, as well as on “decision-making centers and command posts” in Kyiv. Ukrainian city of Starobelsk, currently occupied by Russia.
The UN “strongly condemns all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur,” Khiari stressed. “Such attacks violate international humanitarian law. They must stop immediately. Civilians must be protected,” he said.
Humanitarian assistance
The UN also reported that humanitarian workers continue to work in extremely dangerous conditions. Aid workers and facilities have been attacked at least five times in the past two weeks.
Despite this, the UN intends to continue to provide humanitarian assistance, monitor the human rights situation, and support efforts to return Ukrainian children “deported or forcibly displaced during the war.”
US called on Russia refuse escalation
US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Tammy Bruce condemned Russia’s latest massive strikes on Kyiv, calling them an “inexplicable, dangerous and barbaric escalation” of the war. Of particular concern, she said, is the use of Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missiles.
She recalled that the attacks killed civilians, injured more than 100 people, and caused significant damage to residential buildings, museums, public transport and infrastructure. unacceptable,” the US spokeswoman said, expressing condolences to all victims.
Washington also warned Moscow against launching “so-called ‘systematic strikes’ against Kyiv,” emphasizing that such actions could lead to new civilian casualties and further delay the prospects for peace. She called on the parties to return to negotiations to end the war.