Guterres condemns Russia and Ukraine for attacks on civilian areas

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Russia and Ukraine to cease attacks on civilian areas.

Several dozen people have been killed recently, as the two countries intensify their airstrikes.

"This latest series of attacks follows an alarming pattern of escalation of attacks on populated areas. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are clear violations of humanitarian law and must stop immediately," Guterres' spokesman, Farhan Haq, said on social media.

This week, a Russian attack killed at least 17 people and wounded dozens in the Kiev region. Meanwhile, several people were killed in Ukrainian airstrikes in Russia.

"The Secretary-General strongly condemns the latest large-scale missile and drone attack by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine," Haq said, adding that Guterres also condemns recent Ukrainian drone attacks in several regions of Russia.

The number of civilian deaths in this conflict has risen by 2026, according to UN data, while the war, now four and a half years old, continues without any sign of a peace agreement.