Russia admits striking Ukraine's Kyiv during UN chief's visit

Russia confirmed on Friday that it conducted an air strike on Kyiv during the UN Secretary General's visit.

Russia confirmed on Friday that it carried out an air strike on Kyiv during a visit by the UN's secretary general, the first such attack on the Ukrainian capital in nearly two weeks, and in which a journalist also died.

Vera Gyrych, a producer for the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was killed when a Russian missile hit the building where she lived in Kyiv, the media group said.

Russia's defence ministry said it had deployed "high-precision, long-range air-based weapons" that "destroyed the production buildings of the Artyom missile and space enterprise in Kyiv".

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes, which immediately followed his talks with UN chief Antonio Guterres, were an attempt by Russia "to humiliate the UN and everything that the organisation represents".

Earlier that day, Guterres had toured Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs where Moscow is alleged to have committed war crimes. Russia denies killing civilians.

Germany said the "inhumane" attack showed Russian President Vladimir Putin has "no respect whatsoever for international law".

The powerful blast had ripped out walls and doors, leaving piles of rubble on the ground.