UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed “deep concern” on Tuesday over Russia’s announcement that it plans to launch systematic strikes on Kyiv. Guterres’s concerns were delivered at an open high-level debate of the 15-member UN Security Council in New York, chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Guterres said the Russian announcement followed reports of a Ukrainian drone attack on a college building and dormitory in the Ukrainian city of Starobilsk, which is currently under Russian occupation. He told the Security Council that the UN condemns the attack on the school, as well as attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure wherever they occur. “Now more than ever, it is imperative to avoid any escalation of a conflict that has already exacted a devastating toll on civilians, and that risks making the search for peace even more distant, prolonging the suffering of people,” Guterres said. Ukraine’s General Staff rebuffed Russia’s accusations and said the strike targeted a Russian military drone unit. The UN meeting took place a day after Moscow said it intended to carry out future “systematic” strikes following another major weekend barrage against Kyiv in retaliation for the Starobilsk strike. Russia’s foreign ministry also urged foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave Kyiv “as soon as possible” as it threatens to launch more strikes on defense industry facilities and decision-making centers in the Ukrainian capital.