At a special meeting of the UN Security Council, convened at the initiative of official Kyiv on Monday, July 27, diplomats and representatives of the organization's Secretariat strongly condemned the new wave of Russian shelling of Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, systematic attacks on Black Sea ports and civilian vessels, as well as strikes on diplomatic missions.
UNN has compiled the key statements made during the meeting.
Massive attacks on cities and rising civilian casualties
The UN Security Council meeting began with a detailed briefing by the head of the UN Department of Political Affairs, Kayoko Goto. She emphasized the catastrophic increase in the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine as a result of massive Russian strikes using missiles and drones.
"Since our last Security Council meeting on July 9, more than 170 civilians have been killed and 1,028 wounded across Ukraine as a result of air attacks by the Russian Federation. Residential buildings, kindergartens, supermarkets, and logistics warehouses have been hit by strikes. In July alone, at least 56 civilians were killed and 232 wounded in Kyiv,"
Kayoko Goto added that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded at least over 16,000 dead and over 90,000 wounded since the start of the full-scale invasion.
She also stressed that international humanitarian law strictly prohibits any attacks on civilians and life-sustaining infrastructure.
"These attacks are unacceptable and must stop. The United Nations condemns such attacks wherever they occur,"
Strike on the Latvian consulate in Sloviansk and attacks on diplomatic missions
A separate acute issue of the meeting was the targeted Russian strike with guided aerial bombs (GABs) on Sloviansk, which destroyed the building of the former honorary consulate of Latvia, as well as attacks on warehouses of international humanitarian organizations.
Latvia's representative to the UN, Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, made a statement condemning the aggressor's actions and emphasizing the resilience of the Ukrainian people.
In turn, Denmark's representative, Christina Markus Lassen, also noted during her speech the destruction by Russia of diplomatic and humanitarian facilities.
"We know that as a result of the strikes on Sloviansk, the premises of the Latvian consulate were damaged. We express our solidarity with Latvia and, of course, with Ukraine. Strikes were carried out on premises used by UN programs and on warehouses of international organizations in Kyiv. In these cases, without exception, there is no justification for striking civilian objects in densely populated areas. Such acts are a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. All those responsible must be held accountable,"
Food terror: shelling of ports, civilian vessels, and warehouses
UN representatives and diplomats paid special attention to Russia's deliberate destruction of Ukraine's port and agricultural infrastructure on the Black Sea and the Danube, which has led to a 20% increase in global food prices.
Recall that over several days, the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, Izmail, and Mykolaiv came under attack by the Russian armed forces, as well as civilian vessels flying the flags of Guinea-Bissau and the Republic of Togo with crews from Syria and India. In addition, the enemy is destroying agricultural fields and warehouses of the World Food Programme (WFP).
"The consequences of Russian aggression extend far beyond Ukraine. Russia's deliberate attacks strike at the food security of the entire world... On July 17, a World Food Programme warehouse was hit by four strikes in a single day. This is no coincidence: the World Food Programme has registered over 18 such attacks,"
The representative of France, in turn, confirmed that Russia's actions create a threat of famine in the poorest regions of the planet:
"Moscow continues and even increases its policy of massive aerial attacks, striking indiscriminately at civilian areas using drones and ballistic missiles... As a result of strikes on the infrastructure of Black Sea ports and civilian ships, not only civilians are killed, but the food security of millions of people is also threatened," the French diplomat noted.
Nuclear danger around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and humanitarian response
Acting Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Indrika Ratwatte drew attention to the critical state of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has completely lost external power supply 10 times in the last three months due to shelling, as well as to the development of a winter plan to help Ukraine.
After this, the meeting participants called on Ukraine and Russia to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and the restoration of peace in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
In particular, this was done by the Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN, Dan Negrea.
There is no military solution to this war. Both Ukraine and Russia must return to the negotiating table. Too much blood has been shed. The world is paying too high a price for this war. It must end. The United States remains ready to play a constructive role in achieving this outcome and to facilitate negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Our commitment to peace in Ukraine is unwavering
How Russia responded to the accusations of the Ukrainian side
The position of the Russian Federation at the UN Security Council meeting was presented by the acting Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, Anna Evstigneeva.
The diplomat began with mirror accusations. According to her, the Ukrainian military allegedly:
- struck with drones in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation a bus carrying children from Belarus;
- attacked a residential building in the city of Kerch (Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014), where children were injured;
- in Rostov-on-Don, attacked a center for the homeless;
- hit a children's recreation camp;
- directed attack UAVs at an ambulance in Horlivka (territory of Donetsk region occupied by the Russian Armed Forces), etc.
In turn, responding to the accusations of the Ukrainian side, Evstigneeva used propaganda clichés. According to her, Russian troops do not strike civilian buildings in Ukrainian cities. They allegedly attack military-industrial complex enterprises, which the Ukrainian authorities deliberately place in densely populated areas of cities and thus hide behind civilians.
In a similar manner, the acting Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN tried to justify the strike by Russian Armed Forces fighters on the Kyiv region, where a weapons exhibition was held. In addition, Evstigneeva "explained" the reasons for the drone and missile attacks by Russians on the terminals and branches of "Nova Poshta". According to her version, the Ukrainian postal operator helps "deliver dual-use goods" and therefore became a "legitimate target" for the Russian military.
Finally, the Russian diplomat once again spoke about forced mobilization in Ukraine and used an incident in Lviv to illustrate her point: there, in the Sykhiv district at the beginning of July, a group of civilians attacked representatives of the Territorial Recruitment Centers. Evstigneeva called the unrest a "step of desperation" and a "lynch mob" and ended her speech by stating that the Kremlin does not intend to curtail combat operations against Ukraine and will continue to "achieve the goals of the Special Military Operation".
The representative of Great Britain at the UN Security Council reacted sharply to this. She said Russia is trying to equate its massive strikes on Ukrainian cities, the occupation of territories, and Ukraine's actions to defend against aggression.
Russia seeks to draw a parallel between the continuous bombing of Ukrainian cities, the illegal and brutal occupation of Ukrainian territory, and Ukraine's self-defense efforts. But there is no equivalence. Russia's invasion is a violation of international law
Context
On July 20, 2026, Ukraine submitted a request for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in connection with Russian shelling of civilian vessels in the Black Sea.
It was supported by France, Great Britain, Denmark, Greece, and Latvia.
According to Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha, the reason for this demand was a situation where Russian military attacked at least three civilian vessels in Black Sea ports. Dozens of crew members were killed and injured.
"Today, not a single ship passed through the Ukrainian maritime corridor in the Black Sea — right in the midst of the harvest season. This is deliberate economic and humanitarian terror. Millions of families in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America may face rising prices and hunger if this terror continues," wrote the acting head of the relevant ministry on his page on the social network X on July 22.
On the same day, it became known that the Russian army struck the bulk carrier Golden Rose in the Black Sea with a drone. Ukrainian military personnel were forced to rescue the crew members. Thanks to their coordination and prompt response, 16 men avoided serious injuries and death. All of them are citizens of other countries.
And a few days earlier — on July 19 — Russian military attacked a vessel flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau. Casualties could not be avoided; six crew members died, and two men were injured.
In addition, on July 13, the Russians struck a merchant vessel flying the flag of the Republic of Togo. As a result, three people died and five were injured.
Reminder
Somewhat earlier, in June 2026, Ukraine convened the UN Security Council due to Russian attacks on cities and the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.