Matthias Schmale condemned the large-scale Russian assault on the capital Kyiv, as well as Dnipro and Kharkiv, which marked the third time they have been struck in as many weeks.
“Instead of enjoying the start of the school summer break, children and their families spent the night in underground shelters, woken up by air raid sirens, explosions and uncertainty,” he said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack, his Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.
He reiterated the Secretary-General’s urgent appeal for immediate de-escalation leading to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
Over 600 missiles and drones deployed
While Kyiv and Dnipro were among the most heavily affected cities, explosions were also reported in several other regions including Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Chernihiv and Poltava, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reported.
The mission cited the Ukraine Air Force which said that Russia launched 656 long-range drones and missiles in the massive overnight attack, and although many of the weapons were intercepted, 30 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and 33 long-range drones stuck 38 locations.
Russian authorities issued a statement saying the bombardment was in response to a Ukrainian attack last week in Starobilsk, Luhansk region, which reportedly killed 21 civilians, it said.
Moscow had recently warned of “consistent and systemic” strikes against targets in Kyiv.
Rescue operations underway
HMRRU teams visited sites in the city and Dnipro, where rescue operations were ongoing amid reports that people were still trapped under rubble.
“Though civilians took protective measures and sought shelter, the attack killed at least 22 civilians and injured 145, including children,” said Danielle Bell, the HRMMU head.
“The loss of life, injuries, and damage to civilian infrastructure underscore the foreseeable human cost of using explosive weapons in populated areas.”
‘Senseless devastation’
An emergency worker in Kyiv was among those reportedly killed, HMRRU said, which highlights the risks these personnel face when assisting civilians following attacks.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expressed sadness over reports that a three-year-old boy was killed in Dnipro and that 10 children were injured in the attacks across Ukraine.
“The brutal, senseless devastation of young lives must end,” the agency tweeted.
Valeriia, 13, and her mother spent the night in a basement during a massive attack on Kyiv.
In another post, UNICEF shared the testimony of Valeriia, a 13-year-old girl from Kyiv, who spent the night in a basement alongside her mother.
“I thought I wasn’t going to survive,” she said. “I completely broke down and was in tears when the explosions became so powerful that they blew open the shelter door.”
End all attacks
Mr. Schmale noted that “the war continues to take a devastating toll on civilians and their mental health, as they have no respite, and fear and anxiety build up amid the anticipation of the next attacks across the country.”
He stressed the need to uphold international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including homes and hospitals.
“The Russian Federation’s inflammatory rhetoric and escalation of attacks should stop, paving the way for a just peace,” he said.
The UN monitoring mission said the increased use of long-range missiles and drones has been a major driver of civilian casualties in Ukraine. Figures so far this year are roughly 20 per cent higher than the same period in 2025, largely due to the increased use of long-range weapons.
