UN Security Council Holds Emergency Meeting After Russian Kyiv Strike

The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on August 29 at Ukraine's request to address a recent large-scale Russian attack on Kyiv, which resulted in at least 23 deaths, including children, and over 60 injuries. The session, scheduled for 3 p.m. New York time, will focus on maintaining peace and security in Ukraine, with the Ukrainian delegation briefing the international community on the attack's devastation and urging an immediate ceasefire and civilian protection. The attack, involving around 630 drones and missiles, also damaged foreign diplomatic missions in Kyiv, prompting condemnation from UN Secretary-General António Guterres and European officials who view it as dismissive of peace efforts. Concurrently, top Ukrainian officials, including Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in New York to discuss future security guarantees and a potential bilateral meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The White House responded by paralleling the Russian strike on civilians with Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, highlighting ongoing tensions despite diplomatic efforts. This emergency session underscores the intensified international focus on the escalating conflict and the urgent calls for peace.