The government has condemned the deadly aerial assault on Ukraine by Russia and expressed deep concerns over the number of casualties from the missile strikes.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk during a regular press briefing on Tuesday said that the Seoul government strongly condemns the air attacks by Russia as a violation of the U.N. Charter and reaffirms its stance that the use of force that takes innocent civilian lives cannot be justified under any circumstances.

The spokesperson said that no South Korean nationals were among the known dead. Some 40 South Koreans reportedly remain in Ukraine.

The foreign ministry and the South Korean embassy in Ukraine are monitoring the local situation around the clock.

Amid the worsening security condition in Ukraine, a ministry official said the Seoul government has no plans to withdraw its embassy at the moment.

Russia reportedly launched large-scale air strikes on major cities across Ukraine on Monday, killing at least 19 civilians and wounding over 100 others.