'Russia’s latest escalation of terror' — Ukraine calls emergency UN Security Council meeting following large-scale attack on Kyiv
The U.N. Security Council will hold a meeting on Aug. 1 over Russian aggression against Ukraine following a large-scale attack on Kyiv on July 31, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv overnight, killing at least 16 people and injuring 159 in one of the heaviest attacks in recent weeks. A total of 12 children were injured, in what Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said was the highest number of child casualties in the city since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The urgent meeting was called "in response to Russia’s latest escalation of terror," Sybiha said on X, which will be held tomorrow evening in New York City.
Ukraine has initiated an urgent UN Security Council meeting in response to Russia’s latest escalation of terror, which led to the killing of people and damage in Kyiv.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) July 31, 2025
An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council under the agenda item “Maintenance of peace and security of…
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin rejects peace efforts and wants to prolong his war. And the world has the necessary strength to stop him — by united pressure and principled position in favor of a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire," Sybiha added.
The foreign minister's comments come as senior American diplomat John Kelley told the Security Council on July 31 that U.S. President Donald Trump wants a deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine by Aug. 8. Trump warned on July 29 that tariffs on Russia would take effect within 10 days unless the Kremlin agreed to halt its full-scale invasion.
The proposed tariffs include sweeping secondary sanctions on countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas, and other exports — a move that would directly impact major trading partners such as China and India.
As Russia continues to increase the intensity of its attacks against Ukrainian cities, peace talks with Moscow continue to make "no progress," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on July 31.
The Security Council, a U.N. body composed of five permanent members and 10 rotating ones, is tasked with overseeing global security and addressing crises and conflicts around the world.
The U.S and Russia, along with the France, the U.K., and China, hold permanent seats in the body. Kyiv and its Western allies have condemned Moscow for repeatedly using its veto power to block any measures aimed at addressing Russian aggression.
