Overview
- Ukraine formally requested an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting to press the international community to respond to recent large-scale Russian aerial attacks.
- Russian strikes used waves of kamikaze drones, cruise and ballistic missiles and allegedly hypersonic Zircon missiles, causing dozens of deaths, scores of injuries, and damage to museums, theaters and government buildings.
- Ukrainian officials say some victims were hit by so-called double-tap strikes that target rescuers and emergency workers arriving after initial attacks.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of critical shortages in Ukraine's air-defense systems and urged U.S. President Donald Trump and other partners for urgent aid.
- Kyiv's retaliatory drone strike on St. Petersburg and a history of prior UN emergency sessions underscore rising regional risk and Kyiv's push for sustained diplomatic pressure and material support.