New York [US], July 6 : United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condemned the latest large-scale Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, reiterating his call for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire as a critical step towards achieving a "just, comprehensive & sustainable peace" in the region.
As per Al Jazeera, citing Ukrainian authorities, Moscow launched over 500 drones and 11 missiles at Kyiv overnight into Friday (local time), resulting in the death of one person, injuries to at least 23 others, and widespread damage to buildings across the capital.
Air raid sirens, the buzz of kamikaze drones, and loud explosions echoed through the city until sunrise.
In a post on X, the UN Chief stated that the attacks, which disrupted the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, underscored the ongoing risks to nuclear safety, prompting the urgency of halting hostilities in line with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions.
"I strongly condemn the latest series of large-scale drone & missile attacks on Ukraine by Russia. The power supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was disrupted - once again underlining the ongoing risks to nuclear safety. I reiterate my call for a full, immediate & unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine as a first step towards a just, comprehensive & sustainable peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law & relevant UN resolutions," Guterres stated.
Following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the day as a "rocky start" but noted significant defensive successes.
"It was a rocky start to the day, with more than 500 Russian attack drones and missiles. Difficult, but a significant number were shot down. Interceptor drones demonstrated important performance today, and we are scaling this up to the hilt," Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
Zelenskyy also announced a landmark development in Ukraine's defence strategy in the same post, as Kyiv made an agreement with Denmark on weapons productions.
"Today marks an important decision in Europe -- in Denmark -- our first agreement on weapons production for Ukraine in Europe. Coproduction between Ukraine and Denmark. This is paramount both in terms of security and investment," he added.
The deal will allow Ukrainian companies to begin joint weapons production on Danish territory, as reported by New York Post.
This is the first instance of Ukraine establishing military manufacturing operations abroad, as the country seeks to counter intensifying Russian attacks during the conflict.
As per the New York Post, citing Ukraine's Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin, Denmark is contributing USD 5 million to the initiative, which is designed to support Ukrainian defence startups.