Russian bombs fall on Kyiv as U.N. chief meets Zelensky in Ukraine's war-torn capital

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Ukraine on Thursday morning and condemned the “evil” actscommitted against civilians after touring the Kyiv suburbs of Borodianka, Bucha and Irpin – areas where Ukraine has alleged war crimes have been committed.

But as the U.N. chief met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, officials said the Ukrainian capital fell under Russian missile fire, France 24 reported.

According to a Reuters report, eyewitnesses heard explosions go off at approximately 7:52 p.m.

Shortly after, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a central district of the capital was hit by Russian strikes and that authorities are currently determining if there were any casualties.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba took to Twitter to blast the Russian attacks, saying, “By this heinous act of barbarism Russia demonstrates once again its attitude towards Ukraine, Europe and the world.”

Russia stroke Kyiv with cruise missiles right when U.N. Secretary General @antonioguterres and Bulgarian PM @KirilPetkov visit our capital. By this heinous act of barbarism Russia demonstrates once again its attitude towards Ukraine, Europe and the world.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 28, 2022

After seeing the devastation left behind by Russian forces in the towns surrounding Kyiv, Guterres urged the Kremlin “to accept to cooperate” with the International Criminal Court’s ongoing investigation, the U.N.’s news service reported.

“When we see this horrendous site, it makes me feel how important it is [to have] a thorough investigation and accountability,” Guterres told reporters in Bucha, where images of dead civilians lying in the streets sparked anger across the world earlier this month.

“I fully support the International Criminal Court and I appeal to the Russian Federation to accept to cooperate with the International Criminal Court,” he added.

After touring the war-torn town of Borodianka, northwest of the capital, Guterres was quick to call the war “an absurdity.”

“I must say what I feel. I imagined my family in one of those houses that is now destroyed and black,” he said. “I see my granddaughters running away in panic, part of the family eventually killed. So, the war is an absurdity in the 21st century. The war is evil.”

Later, while visiting the destroyed Irpinsky Lipki residential complex, the UN chief said the “horrific scenario demonstrates something that is unfortunately, always true: civilians always pay the highest price.”

Earlier this month, UN rights chief, Michelle Bachelet said that she had been “horrified” by images showing the bodies of dead civilians lying in the streets of Bucha, and in improvised graves.

“Reports emerging from this and other areas, raise serious and disturbing questions about possible war crimes as well as grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law,” she said in a statement.