Zelenskyy Calls for Urgent UN Security Council Meeting Following Russian Attacks
According to Ukrainian officials, 31 people lost their lives in Russian strikes across Ukraine, although Russia has denied intentionally targeting civilians.
On July 8, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his call for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council after Russia launched missiles at various targets throughout the country. Moscow refuted claims of intentionally targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.
The Russian missile attack in Ukraine on Monday resulted in the death of at least 31 individuals and left 154 others injured, as reported by Ukrainian officials. Among the targets hit was a large children’s hospital in the capital city of Kyiv.
“Ukraine is now initiating an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in response to the Russian strike on civilian infrastructure, including the children’s hospital,” stated President Zelenskyy on social media.
The daytime assault targeted five Ukrainian cities with more than 40 missiles of various types striking apartment buildings and public infrastructure, with Ukraine’s air force managing to intercept 30 missiles.
“We need to hold Russia accountable for their acts of terror and for giving orders to carry out these strikes,” President Zelenskyy expressed during a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Poland. He added, “Russia responds to our attempts at peace by launching attacks on residences and medical facilities.”
In Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, rescue teams searched for victims under the debris of a partially collapsed two-story section of the facility. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed on social media that at least 16 individuals, including seven children, were hospitalized. “Two victims from other districts passed away at the hospital,” he noted.
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Ukraine’s security service reported finding wreckage from a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile at the scene and has initiated war crime proceedings. The Kh-101 is an air-launched missile designed to fly at low altitudes to evade radar detection. According to Ukraine, 11 out of the 13 Kh-101 missiles launched on Monday were successfully intercepted.
Russia’s Response to Claims
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces targeted defense industry facilities and aviation bases in Ukraine.
As per the ministry’s statements to state-supported media, the damage in Kyiv, including at the children’s hospital, was attributed to an inadvertent Ukrainian air defense missile and not a deliberate Russian missile strike. The ministry admitted to launching a series of missile attacks on Ukraine but clarified that the targets were military airfields and factories.
The Russian statement dismissed allegations made by the Kyiv government regarding deliberate strikes on civilian locations as entirely false. The ministry claimed, “Numerous photos and videos from Kyiv unequivocally show destruction caused by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile launched from a position within the city,” although no evidence was provided to support these claims.
In another statement via Russian state-backed media, the ministry asserted that its strikes on Monday destroyed three U.S.-made missile systems utilized by Ukrainian forces and resulted in the death of “up to 10 foreign specialists servicing those systems” in a single strike.
NATO Summit
Supporters of Ukraine among Western leaders will convene for a three-day NATO summit in Washington starting on July 9.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that during the upcoming gathering, discussions will include military assistance for Ukraine. He revealed plans for the attending heads of state to agree on a substantial aid package for Ukraine that will pave the way for NATO membership and offer robust support at the Summit.
Earlier in July, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced a new $2 billion security package for Ukraine, including missile systems, munitions, and anti-tank weaponry.
Analysis by the Council on Foreign Relations think tank and the Committee for a Responsible Budget indicates that the United States has provided about $175 billion in aid to Ukraine since February 2022, with a significant portion, $61.3 billion, being disbursed in April.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
