The UN Security Council met on Friday night to discuss developments in Ukraine, as Kiev and its allies called for an emergency discussion of the barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes, perhaps the most intense Russia has launched since start of war.

At least 31 people have been killed and more than 160 injured in Russian strikes over the past 24 hours, according to Ukrainian authorities. Poland said a Russian missile violated its airspace before heading to its target in Ukraine.

Shortly after the meeting began at 16:00 (local time, 23:00 Greek time), members of the UN Security Council – including the US, France and Britain – condemned the Russian attacks in Ukraine.

The attacks were “a desperate and futile attempt by Russia to regain momentum” in the war it has waged in Ukraine, British Ambassador Barbara Woodward said. “He won’t make it,” he assured.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba earlier said on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that Ukraine and more than 30 UN member states had called for a Security Council meeting after the barrage of Russian attacks caused “many civilian casualties and significant damage to civilian infrastructure”.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. “Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law, are unacceptable and must stop immediately,” he stressed.