UK Condemns Russia's 611-Drone, 70-Missile Attack on Ukraine at UN as Civilian Toll Rises
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Post · Jun 23
UK Condemns Russia's 611-Drone, 70-Missile Attack on Ukraine at UN as Civilian Toll Rises
3 articles · Updated · Kyiv Post · Jun 23
Summary
At the UN Security Council, the UK said Russia's June 14-15 strikes killed at least 11 civilians and amounted to a fresh escalation in the war.
James Kariuki said Russia fired 611 drones and 70 missiles — including 40 ballistic and hypersonic weapons — making it the war's second-largest such attack.
The UK said the barrage also hit cultural landmarks, setting Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra ablaze and damaging the Mystetskyi Arsenal Arts Museum and Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio.
OCHA recorded May as the deadliest month for civilians since the war began, Kariuki said, and June is on track to be worse as attacks intensify.
Kariuki accused Moscow of a pattern of "destruction, then denial, then disinformation" and urged Russia to heed international calls for an immediate ceasefire.
In May 2026, the conflict in Ukraine saw a sharp rise in civilian casualties and widespread destruction, as Russian missile and aerial attacks struck cities far from the front lines. These strikes caused deaths, injuries, and severe damage to homes, schools, and cultural landmarks like the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and an art museum in Kharkiv. While the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission worked to verify casualties in Ukraine and Russian-occupied areas, it faced challenges confirming Russian reports of civilian losses due to limited independent sources. The ongoing violence drew urgent international concern and highlighted the escalating humanitarian crisis.