UN denounces that Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilians violate international humanitarian law

The United Nations (UN) condemned the new wave of attacks launched by Russia against different cities in Ukraineafter massive bombings with drones and missiles left at least 12 dead and 57 injured in kyiv, including two minors, according to Ukrainian authorities.

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, called the attacks a serious violation of international humanitarian law. and denounced that the offensives reached residential areas and essential services for the civilian population.

For almost 24 consecutive hours, the Russian army launched nearly 800 drones and 56 missiles against Ukrainian territory, in one of the most intense bombings since the start of the war. Weapons used included ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that hit homes, schools, energy infrastructure and commercial areas.

In kyiv, rescue teams continued to remove rubble on Thursday in search of survivors. The body of a 12-year-old girl was recovered under the remains of a residential building destroyed by the attack. The mayor of the Ukrainian capital, Vitali Klitschko, reported that at least 18 apartments were completely destroyed in the Darnitski district.

The authorities also indicated that several areas of the city suffered interruptions in the water supply and disruptions to traffic due to the damage caused by the explosions and the fall of fragments from intercepted drones.

UN denounces increase in civilian casualties

From the site of the attacks, Castel-Hollingsworth assured that Ukrainian families “should always feel safe” and regretted that mothers and fathers have to wait for news of their children trapped under the rubble..

The official recalled that international humanitarian law requires the protection of the civilian population and prohibits deliberate attacks against residential areas.

For his part, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned the resumption of large-scale attacks and warned that the increasing use of long-range weapons is increasing the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine.

According to data from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, civilian deaths and injuries recorded during the first four months of 2026 exceed the figures for the same period in any of the last three years.

In April alone, long-range weapons left at least 84 civilians dead and 628 injuredrepresenting 43% of all civilian victims counted by the United Nations.

Ukraine accuses Russia of evading sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that one of the residential buildings hit in kyiv would have been hit by a Kh-101 missile manufactured this year.

According to Zelensky, this shows that Russia continues to obtain components and technology to manufacture weapons despite international sanctions imposed by the West.

“Bypassing sanctions continues to allow the production of missiles,” declared the president, who asked Western allies to strengthen measures to block the supply of military materials and equipment to the Kremlin.

The president also insisted on the need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense systems and called on Europe to increase its own military production, especially missiles and anti-aircraft systems capable of confronting ballistic threats.

Meanwhile, the UN expressed concern about the increase in attacks against humanitarian workers. This week, two clearly marked United Nations vehicles were hit by drones while distributing aid in the Kherson and Dnipro regions.

According to data from the international organization, between January and April 2026 at least three humanitarian workers died and ten others were injured in 56 incidents related to the armed conflict in Ukraine.

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