Zelensky Informs UN Secretary-General Guterres About Russian Strikes

President Volodymyr Zelensky informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres about Russia's ongoing strikes in Ukraine following a strike on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih. Zelensky spoke with Guterres on Friday, Aug. 21, where they agreed on the UN's role in finding a solution to end Russia's war against Ukraine amid rising civilian casualties.

The UN chief condemned Russia's large-scale attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities and communities. Russia rejected proposals to return to the negotiating table, insisting that international efforts to stop the war should continue. Earlier, Russia struck a shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih, killing at least 14 people and injuring over 121, including five children.

Zelensky condemned the strike as "utterly cynical and vile" and called for pressure on the aggressor. The UN secretary-general joined the joint effort to end the conflict. The strikes on Ukraine's food security infrastructure, such as port attacks and vessel targeting in the Black Sea, have already impacted countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, causing price surges.

Both Ukraine and Russia have been engaged in intense strikes around the Black Sea, extending conflicts to neighboring nations. Turkey expressed concern over civilian shipping and coastal security following a drone attack on a Turkish-owned vessel near Russia’s Novorossiysk port.