S/PV.9720 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Ms. Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I also invite His Excellency Mr. Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Ms. Msuya. Ms. Msuya: I thank the members of the Security Council for this opportunity to brief them on the latest humanitarian situation in Ukraine. Regrettably, two and a half years since the escalation of this war, the situation only continues to worsen. The death toll is mounting. Human suffering continues at intolerable levels. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that, since 24 February 2022, over 11,700 civilians have been killed; more than 24,600 civilians have been injured. And across the country, 10 million people have now been forced to flee their homes. Since 26 August, large-scale attacks and relentless missile and drone strikes have continued across Ukraine. More civilians, including children, have been killed or injured. And more essential infrastructure has been damaged. According to local authorities in the Donetsk region, almost half the residents of a front-line town in their area evacuated in the past two weeks. Several hospitals in the region have also had to relocate, making health services scarce amid growing needs for people who remain. While civilians in front-line areas of Donetsk and parts of Kharkiv are among those most heavily impacted, attacks elsewhere  — in Dnipro, Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava and other cities  — have also caused significant civilian casualties and damage to essential infrastructure. Large-scale and systematic strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure continue to drastically reduce electricity capacity, causing millions of people country-wide to experience daily power cuts. Outages often last many hours and limit access to water, sewage service, heating, mobile networks, the Internet and public transportation. They hinder the ability of hospitals and health facilities to operate. They add to the disruption of children’s education. The start of the new school year has been marred by constant attacks and damage to schools. And they imperil vulnerable and marginalized groups, especially older people and those with limited mobility. This toll will be amplified over the winter, as energy needs increase. We should also not underestimate the long-term psychological impacts of these relentless hostilities. Civilians across Ukraine are spending endless hours in bomb shelters as air raid sirens sound and as they wait for the missiles to stop. People living in regions along the front line often spend days on end sheltering from the fighting. And millions of Ukrainians face death, destruction and the fear of attack on a daily basis. Neither should we ignore the disproportionate impact of the war on women and children, who continue to face additional barriers to accessing essential services and increased risks to their safety, including from gender- based violence. We are deeply concerned by the recent expansion of fighting to new areas on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia border. Since Ukraine’s military operation into the Kursk region of the Russian Federation on 6 August, at least 130,000 civilians have been evacuated, according to local Russian officials. Media reports indicate civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. I must remind all parties of the obligation to take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects, as international humanitarian law demands. The escalation in military activity and the shifting front lines are making humanitarian operations extremely dangerous and exposing aid workers to serious harm. Nevertheless, humanitarian organizations continue to assist hundreds of thousands of people in need. In the first seven months of 2024, some 6.2 million people received humanitarian assistance in Ukraine. Humanitarians are providing support to thousands of people in front-line communities, emergency relief and relocation support to those evacuating and improving living conditions for internally displaced people in collective sites. And ahead of winter, our winter response plan and preparedness efforts are proceeding at full speed. In that regard, I want to pay tribute to the courage of all humanitarian workers in Ukraine, particularly the local volunteers, civil society organizations and other groups who risk their lives to provide that support and who keep humanity alive amid the death and destruction. We remain deeply concerned about the 1.5 million people whom we have been unable to reach on any adequate scale in regions of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation  — parts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhya. Like everyone living in front-line areas of Ukraine, they are undoubtedly in urgent need of health care, medicine, food and clean drinking water. As winter approaches, those needs will become more acute. We renew our call for the safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief to all civilians in need, in accordance with international humanitarian law. We are grateful to the donors who have provided almost $1.4 billion for the humanitarian response in Ukraine so far this year. However, three quarters of the way through the year, the humanitarian needs and response plan is still less than half funded. To sustain operations in an increasingly complex and dangerous environment, it is urgent that donors increase and accelerate flexible funding for the response. That is becoming even more pressing as another winter approaches. The war has gone on far too long. It has caused immense suffering and left more than 14.6 million people  — 40 per cent of Ukraine’s population  — in need of humanitarian assistance. As it escalates, its toll will only increase. Protecting civilians and ultimately ending the war are a matter of will. As Heads of State and Government leaders prepare to attend the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session, which opens today, I once again call on Council members — indeed, on all Member States — to seize every opportunity to secure the decisions that can spare civilians and finally bring the war to an end.

I thank Ms. Msuya for her briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I thank Ms. Msuya for her briefing. The Council has met more than 20 times regarding the humanitarian situation in Ukraine since Russia launched its illegal war of aggression on 24 February 2022, and this is the seventh time this year. Russia must, finally, comply with international humanitarian law and the humanitarian principles of distinction and proportionality and cease its strikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Yet in spite of that, it continues to methodically take aim at civilian targets. It is bombing schools, hospitals, nurseries, kindergartens, shopping malls, public transport and residential buildings on a daily basis. No one can forget the massacres at the train station in Kramatorsk, the apartment block in Vinnytsia, the printing press in Kharkiv, Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv and the shopping mall in Kostiantynivka. Russia is seeking to undermine the morale of the Ukrainian people. Massive salvos targeted the entire territory of Ukraine on 26 and 27 August and again, in September, targeted energy infrastructure. More than half of Ukraine’s energy production capacity is now destroyed or damaged, exposing Ukrainian civilians to a third winter in the cold. France condemns Iran’s export and Russia’s acquisition of Iranian ballistic missiles, which represent a further escalation in Iran’s military support and a flagrant violation of resolution 2231 (2015). Iranian missiles will reach European soil and compound the suffering of the Ukrainian people. Russia’s deep strikes, far from the front lines, are not aimed at direct military objectives but at civilian infrastructure. They may amount to crimes against humanity, which is why the International Criminal Court issued two arrest warrants on 5 March 2024 against Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash, a lieutenant general in Russia’s armed forces, and Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov, a vice-admiral and Commander of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. The plight of the 1.5 million Ukrainians in the occupied territories is devastating. Russia must allow humanitarian organizations access to the population. France has supported Ukraine and its neighbours in coping with the humanitarian consequences of the conflict since the first day of Russia’s war of aggression, mobilizing nearly €400 million to meet emergency needs and rebuild vital infrastructure. Russia is perpetrating numerous human rights violations in the occupied territories and its treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war violates international humanitarian law. Russia is once again listed in the Secretary-General’s latest annual report on children and armed conflict (S/2024/384). It has been responsible for killings, maimings and attacks on schools and hospitals. President Putin is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes of deportation and the illegal transfer of children. I underscore that all States party to the Rome Statute are duty-bound to execute that arrest warrant. For more than 900 days now we in this Chamber have been condemning the scale and gravity of the crimes that Russia is committing in Ukraine and for which it will have to answer. It is high time that it ceased ignoring its obligations and ended its war of aggression.

I thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for her report. Since the last time the Council met to hear a report on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine (see S/PV.9682), we have witnessed alarming developments on the ground that have exacerbated tensions and continue to have a severe impact on the civilian population. Ms. Msuya’s detailed reports today on the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine and the damage to critical infrastructure due to recent missile and drone attacks are particularly worrisome, as is the detrimental impact on the civilian population, with dozens dead and wounded and hundreds of thousands being evacuated as the geographic area of the conflict widens in both Ukraine and Russia. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable, irrespective of where they occur. Ecuador reiterates that it is imperative that civilian lives and civilian infrastructure be safeguarded in accordance with the principles and obligations laid down in international humanitarian law, especially those requiring the warring parties to be guided by the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution. And in order to prevent a colossal humanitarian and environmental disaster, the parties must act with the utmost responsibility and avoid any action that could threaten the safety of nuclear plants in Ukraine and Russia. I once again acknowledge the efforts of the United Nations and its humanitarian partners, who continue to provide life-saving assistance to those in need, despite the risks they face. The parties must protect humanitarian workers and ensure unhindered access for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the worst affected areas, in compliance with resolution 2730 (2024). As Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča pointed out in the Chamber a few days ago (see S/PV.9714), after a decade of conflict in eastern Ukraine and occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, and two and a half years after this aggression began, the Ukrainian population continues to suffer. That is why we must not allow the war to become normalized. Even as reports of the horrors of the conflict become more frequent, we cannot lose sight of the fact that behind every number there are human lives cut short, families torn apart and entire communities uprooted. Ecuador is doing its part and urges the Council to strive for de-escalation and a cessation of hostilities. We reiterate our call for the violence to end, the protection of civilians to be guaranteed and dialogue and diplomacy resumed so as to restore peace, based on respect for the territorial integrity and political independence of Ukraine and in line with the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the relevant General Assembly resolutions.

I thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for her briefing. The continued fighting in Ukraine has resulted in an increasingly dire humanitarian situation and constant risks of spillover effects. The protracted conflict has brought significant suffering to civilians on both sides and created a serious humanitarian crisis. If the war continues it will only bring more harm and destruction and make the regional and international situation even more volatile. Achieving a ceasefire as quickly as possible and seeking a political solution are in the interests of all parties. The priority now is to observe the three principles of refraining from expanding the battlefield, escalating the fighting or fanning the flames, in order to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible. China once again calls on all parties to the conflict to remain calm and exercise restraint, effectively observe international law, in particular international humanitarian law, avoid targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure and refrain from attacking nuclear power plants and other peaceful nuclear facilities. We urge the parties to the conflict to show political will, meet each other halfway and launch peace talks without delay. We call on the international community to uphold a just, impartial position and to facilitate and create conditions conducive to a resumption of direct dialogue and negotiations between the two parties. China’s position on the Ukraine issue has been crystal clear and consistent. We have promoted peace talks and advocated for a political settlement. We have always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations upheld, the legitimate security concerns of all countries taken seriously and all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement supported. The more complex the situation, the more we must avoid giving up our hopes for peace. The international community should uphold a just, impartial position and send positive and constructive messages by calling for a ceasefire and for resuming peace talks as soon as possible. China and Brazil have jointly issued six common understandings on a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, which is in line with the shared aspirations of the vast majority of countries. Other developing countries are also working for peace and promoting dialogue and have put forward a number of good proposals and suggestions. China is ready to stay closely engaged with the global South and the countries concerned in order to play a constructive role in promoting a political settlement of the crisis.

I thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for her insightful briefing. At the outset, I would like to reiterate Algeria’s deep concern about the continued deterioration in the humanitarian situation caused by the conflict in Ukraine. Despite the international community’s numerous calls for de-escalating tensions and favouring dialogue and diplomacy, the conflict is still being fuelled by confrontation and military action, and we deplore the resulting continued loss of life among civilians on both sides of the border. The numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons keep growing as civilians continue to flee conflict areas, trying to find safe shelter for their families. In the meantime, critical civilian infrastructure is still being targeted by military operations. The approaching winter will further complicate the humanitarian situation and prolong the suffering of millions of people, including women, children and the elderly. Against that backdrop, Algeria emphasizes the need to respect and uphold the rules of international law, including international humanitarian law. We reiterate our call to the parties to end all hostilities, reverse the trend to bloodshed and destruction and promote diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes. It is critical for both parties and the international community to join their efforts to lay the ground for inclusive and constructive dialogue and negotiations. Neither confrontation nor polarization has brought or will bring the conflict closer to a peaceful settlement. Only a genuine dialogue between the parties can lead to a peaceful political solution, based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the legitimate security concerns of all parties.

I would like to thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for her briefing today. More than two and half years after Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, it is the Ukrainian people who continue to bear the terrible consequences of Russia’s aggression. Approximately 14 million Ukrainians are in need of humanitarian assistance. Rather than end that suffering, Russia has chosen to sharply increase its attacks on schools and hospitals in recent months. The Security Council met in July to discuss the particularly shocking damage caused by a Russian missile strike on the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital (see S/PV.9682), and the situation has only got worse since then. The United Nations reports that Russian attacks have led to 184 civilian casualties in the past month in cities and towns across the country. And Russia continues to target key energy facilities all over the country, with more than 100 attacks since March causing extended power cuts affecting millions of people. I want to make it clear that direct attacks on civilian infrastructure constitute a war crime. That must end. The constant bombardment and Russia’s aggression along the front line and in Ukrainian territory are also complicating the humanitarian response. As reported by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on World Humanitarian Day, Ukraine is now one of the most dangerous contexts in the world for aid workers. There were more than 225 incidents that had a direct impact on humanitarian operations last year, averaging four a week. The systemic denial of humanitarian access also means that we cannot verify the full scale of violations and abuses being committed against Ukrainian civilians. The United Kingdom calls on Russia to comply with all its obligations under international humanitarian law, take all feasible precautions to protect civilians and cease targeting infrastructure that covers the essential needs of Ukraine’s population. Until Russia ends its aggression, Ukraine has a right to defend itself under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. And in defending itself, Ukraine is defending us all. Ukrainians are risking their lives, day in and day out, to stand up for the values at the heart of this very institution  — the United Nations — and the right of all our countries to sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine. We have committed £12.7 billion in support so far, including vital lethal aid, crucial humanitarian assistance and funding for energy supplies. We will continue to support Ukraine in the face of this appalling aggression, and we once again reiterate our call for Russia to end this brutal war, withdraw from Ukrainian territory and uphold its commitments under the Charter.

I thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for her briefing, and I thank Ecuador and France for calling the Security Council’s attention to the humanitarian impact of Russia’s recent missile and drone assault on Ukraine. Russia’s ongoing aerial assault on Ukraine, which began on 24 August, Ukraine’s Independence Day, and is the largest since Russia launched its invasion, has killed and injured hundreds of civilians and significantly degraded civilian life. It has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Just two missile strikes on a military educational institute and a hospital in Poltava killed at least 51 people and injured hundreds more. With that, Russia has now destroyed 215 medical facilities and damaged another 1,646. We should remember the Russian air strikes that destroyed the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in July, damaged a maternity hospital in Dnipro in December 2023 and struck a maternity and children’s hospital in Mariupol in March 2022. And the list continues to grow. Russia has also continued to attack the electricity grid, power generation and natural gas infrastructure, leaving Ukraine with a power deficit this coming winter that will plunge its citizens into the dark and cold. The damage to infrastructure is also severely restricting access to basic services such as clean water. As the humanitarian crisis grows, we are asking fellow Member States to help defend the Charter of the United Nations by holding Russia accountable, by not pushing a peace process that lacks Ukraine’s support or rewards Russia for violating the Charter and by denying Russia the material support it needs to wage war. We are asking Member States to provide Ukraine with the means to defend its people and repair its infrastructure. The United States has provided more than $2.6 billion in humanitarian assistance, including support for food, health, shelter, livelihoods, protection and water, sanitation and hygiene assistance. We encourage other donors to support the humanitarian response through the Ukraine humanitarian fund or other partners. The humanitarian needs are just as critical now as they were at the start of the full-scale invasion. We remain equally committed to Ukraine’s energy security. During the Ukraine Recovery Conference on 11 and 12 June, the Group of Seven Plus (G7+) partners collectively announced more than $1 billion in new energy assistance. We are restoring as much power generation as possible and deploying emergency backup power solutions to ensure that the people of Ukraine stay warm this winter. With our Italian partners, we will convene a G7+ Ukraine energy ministerial meeting later this month to further coordinate and energize those efforts. For some time, the United States has warned Iran publicly and privately that transferring ballistic missiles to Russia would constitute a dramatic escalation. Russia has now received such missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine. As a consequence, the United States will announce sanctions against Iran later today. We will also consult with our partners on what additional steps may be needed to respond to that dangerous escalation. To Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, our message is simple — the world is watching. Their transfers of weapons to Russia, especially missiles and drone technology, are enabling it to carry out its aggression in Ukraine, kill civilians, and broadly degrade civilian life. That makes them complicit and puts them on the wrong side of history. And as I said before, China cannot have it both ways. China cannot be for peace and for protecting the Charter while it enables Russia’s war through dual-use imports, or by backing a peace process that rewards Russia for invading another Member State. We invite China to partner with us in holding Russia accountable for its atrocities in Ukraine and for launching this unjustified, brutal and unnecessary war. Justice for victims of Russia’s aggression is a prerequisite for lasting peace. To uphold the principles of the Charter, we must press Russia to end its unprovoked and needless war of conquest and the humanitarian crisis that it has caused. Russia must immediately cease its aggression and fully withdraw from all territory within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.

I thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for her timely and informative briefing. I also welcome the participation of the representatives of Ukraine, Lithuania, the European Union, Sweden and Poland in today’s meeting. We have once again returned to the Chamber to address Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war on Ukraine and its people. However, today’s meeting takes on a new sense of urgency considering the large-scale escalatory attacks over the past two weeks, which have targeted civilian infrastructure throughout Ukraine, caused hundreds of civilian casualties, jeopardized nuclear safety and security and once again laid bare the true face of Russian aggression. Against that alarming backdrop, allow me to focus on the following points. First, the Republic of Korea condemns, in the strongest terms, Russia’s large-scale and illegal missile and drone attacks targeting multiple Ukrainian cities, including residential buildings, hospitals, schools, malls, hotels, religious institutions and even an orphanage. That includes the disgraceful 3 September attack on a hospital in Poltava, and the 4 September attack on Lviv, Ukraine’s westernmost city — far from the front line and long regarded as a safe space for civilians and aid workers. That underscores that nowhere in Ukraine is safe. I would like to take this opportunity to extend our deepest condolences to the victims. Secondly, let me reiterate that Russia’s ongoing wanton and indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian objects across Ukraine, including energy infrastructure, constitute flagrant violations of international law, including international humanitarian law. My delegation is deeply dismayed by recent media reports that present evidence of the summary execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces. The international community should demonstrate its resolute stance that those responsible for such heinous acts must be held fully accountable. We are also concerned about the ominous humanitarian threat of prolonged winter blackouts, as the days get shorter and temperatures continue to fall. Thirdly, Russia’s arms transactions with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are not only illegal, contravening multiple Security Council resolutions, they are also deadly. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has now sent more than 13,000 containers carrying munitions to Russia since September of last year, and dozens  — at least  — of North Korean ballistic missiles have been fired so far. The number of areas that Russia is attacking using North Korean ballistic missiles is increasing in both frequency and intensity. There are as many as 10 Security Council resolutions that have imposed sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea under Chapter VII of the Charter since that country’s first nuclear test in 2006, all of them unanimously adopted in this Chamber. However, it is unsettling that the sanctions regime is being seriously eroded as Russia is flagrantly violating those resolutions in its illegal war of aggression in Ukraine. We urge Russia to cease its illegal military cooperation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and fulfil its duty as a permanent member of the Security Council by ending the war. In conclusion, the Republic of Korea will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine and provide vital assistance in the areas of security, humanitarian aid and reconstruction until they achieve a just and lasting peace in their land.

I would like to thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for her briefing. Since the last time the Council convened to discuss the situation in Ukraine (see S/PV.9714), the situation on the ground has continued to deteriorate. In the past few days, we have witnessed an intensification of Russian missile and drone attacks in several Ukrainian cities. Those include a large-scale drone attack on Kyiv that left 50 killed and more than 300 injured. Those attacks have continued to add to the death and suffering that the Ukrainian population has been forced to endure since the Russian Federation launched its aggression on Ukraine two and a half years ago in complete violation of the Charter of the United Nations. Malta once again condemns such attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. We reiterate our unwavering position that civilians must be protected and that international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties at all times. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate. That is deeply worrisome. Malta extends its deep appreciation to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and all humanitarian actors currently working on the ground. We call on the Russian Federation to facilitate the distribution of aid and access to all humanitarian workers, in accordance with international humanitarian law. As is always the case, children are also paying an extremely heavy price. Too many Ukrainian children have been killed. Those who have survived are left to suffer the brunt of the war. They are left to deal with the loss of parents and family members, permanent injuries, displacement, long-term trauma and exploitation. Others have been deported or forcibly transferred, actions that may constitute a war crime or a crime against humanity. We will continue to support Ukraine and its right to defend itself in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations as long as that unjustified war of aggression continues. To that end, we reiterate our full support for the mandate of the International Criminal Court, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine and the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. We once again call on the Russian Federation to stop its attacks on Ukraine and halt its war of aggression. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The Charter of the United Nations is clear on that matter, and it is our collective duty to safeguard it. We must redouble our efforts towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Before I begin, I would like to express once again my objection to your decision, Mr. President, to allow three member States of the European Union to participate in today’s meeting under rule 37. We have repeatedly noted that statements of the European Union reflecting the general position of its member States on this issue during a Security Council meeting on Ukraine would suffice. This is all the more disappointing given the fact that you yourself, Mr. President, at the beginning of your presidency committed to streamlining the issue of participation in Security Council meetings under rule 37. We see that as an example of double standards and inconsistency. We just heard the most recent lamentation from our hypocritical Western colleagues about the recent strikes by the Russian armed forces targeting infrastructure related to the Kyiv regime’s military capabilities. Indeed, those attacks proved to be massive and effective. Among the targets hit were a military institute in Poltava for training specialists in radio detection and ranging and electronic warfare, as well as a hotel in Kryvyi Rih where Ukrainian intelligence officers resided. Important energy infrastructure was destroyed, as well as Ukrainian airfield infrastructure; fuel depots; arsenals of Western aircraft, weapons and artillery ammunition; manufacturing facilities for uncrewed aerial vehicles and storage sites for uncrewed surface vessels; and accommodation for nationalist units and foreign mercenaries. The distinguishing feature of those strikes is that they eliminated a significant number of foreign instructors, specialists and mercenaries. Therefore, those who are following this issue can anticipate a large number of obituaries referring to the sudden demise of highly specialized military personnel from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Poland and Sweden. From the very beginning, we warned that those who go to help Zelenskyy’s clique sustain its military power or fight in its ranks will become our legitimate targets. And we are seeing more and citizens of Western States among those who are dying in Ukraine, which only confirms that the West is completely enmeshed in the Ukrainian conflict and is now undertaking tremendous efforts to ensure that the Zelenskyy’s regime can stay afloat at least for some time. And those efforts, of course, include the ongoing supply of Western arms to the Kyiv junta, which we will discuss in detail at a separate meeting we requested to be held on 13 September. Unfortunately, in recent days there have been tragedies, which have become the hallmark of the Ukrainian air defence system, as it is experiencing difficulties. On 30 August, in Kharkiv, seven people, including a child, were tragically killed and another 77, including 18 children, were injured owing to an error in the operation of the Ukrainian air defence system. An air defence system missile was supposed to self- destruct after missing its target, but it did not. There were other similar incidents. And all of those incidents happened for the same reason that they had in the past, and we have repeatedly pointed to that reason. Ukrainian air defence systems are being deployed in residential areas in clear violation of the principles of international humanitarian law, which in other cases our Western colleagues so vociferously call for. It would be useful for them to learn that the Ukrainian armed forces are not only openly placing firing positions in schools, kindergartens and hospitals, but also using ambulances and school buses to transport military personnel. Two such buses marked with the word “children” were involved in accidents in Ukraine in recent days, and the fact that military personnel were in those vehicles was documented on social networks by outraged Ukrainians. The strikes we have carried out in recent days have indeed been very painful for the Kyiv regime. They triggered hysteria among our Western colleagues. My question for my Western colleagues is: what did they expect when the “expired” Ukrainian leader under their control opted for the Kursk adventure rather than engaging in peace negotiations, which he and his subordinates had discussed with mediators from countries of the global South, and sent a powerful, largely Western-manufactured fist, against the peaceful Russian border region? Did they not warn him that such actions would result in reprisals and inevitable retribution? And this is just the beginning, as the Ukrainian thugs who had invaded the Kursk region a little over a month ago launched a real campaign of terror against civilians. Recently, we have received evidence that three children between the ages of 10 and 12 were shot dead by the Ukrainian nationalists in the village of Malaya Loknya. Media outlets also showed images of the Banderites’ reprisals targeting elderly civilians in that residential area who had gathered in the square for further evacuation. In Malaya Loknya alone, there were approximately 10 victims. Ukrainian fighters are abducting civilians who have not been able to evacuate, and we are currently drawing up a list of such civilians. There is also documented evidence of sexual violence being committed by mercenaries and Ukrainian radicals against civilians. And the Ukrainian soldiers who became prisoners of war acknowledged that commanding officers ordered them to shoot civilians in the Kursk region if they resisted. We have video evidence that corroborates such criminal orders. All those Council members here who present the errors of the Ukrainian air defence system as deliberate Russian attacks have not said a single word about the crimes of the Ukrainian armed forces on the Kursk soil or the numerous instances of the Kyiv regime shelling peaceful Russian cities in recent days. On 28 August, in the Zaporizhzhya region, the Ukrainian armed forces used drones with ammunition to target civilian vehicles. As a result, one child died on the spot and another four people were injured. I draw Council members’ attention to the fact that drone operators can see their targets perfectly well, which makes such attacks deliberate. On 29 August, five Ukrainian drones struck a hospital in the Kherson oblast, wounding a nurse. On 30 August, Ukraine deliberately shelled Belgorod and the Belgorod region with cluster munitions from Czech-made Vampire multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS). Five civilians were killed and dozens were injured, including minors. Many residential buildings, private houses, cars and other civilian objects were damaged. On 1 September, the Zelenskyy regime launched a massive attack targeting 15 Russian regions. The air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 158 uncrewed aerial vehicles. On 2 September, the Kyiv junta carried out a deliberate missile attack on one of the kindergartens in Belgorod, completely destroying it. Fortunately, there were no casualties thanks to the decision by local authorities to suspend the operation of kindergartens and schools in unsafe areas of the city. The fact that these massive attacks were carried out in densely populated areas on 1 and 2 September — at the very beginning of the school year, when many children were beginning to attend school — shows that children were indeed the main target of the Kyiv regime. On 3 September, Ukrainian drones targeted a church and social infrastructure in the village of Gruzskoye, in the Belgorod oblast, by deliberately dropping explosives. At the time of the terrorist attack, there were 10 people in the church — worshippers and workers. As a result, the priest sustained a concussion. On the same day, the Sokol market in Donetsk was struck, as a result of which two children, born in 2011 and 2009, and one man were killed and eight people, including children, were injured. In total, since February 2022, almost 16,500 attacks on civilian infrastructure in the Belgorod oblast were reported, including more than 9,000 attacks with artillery and MLRS, as well as more than 7,000 drone attacks. These resulted in the deaths of 245 civilians, including 17 children. In addition, 1,483 people were wounded, including 112 children, and 34,600 civilian objects were damaged. Since 1 August alone, as a result of the Kyiv regime’s attacks on the Belgorod oblast, 10 local residents were killed and 157 were wounded, including 14 children. Also damaged were two hospitals, 13 shopping centres and stores, two cultural centres, five administrative buildings, an Orthodox church, three industrial sites, two gas pipelines, four power lines, a gas station, 48 residential buildings, 140 private homes, 446 civilian vehicles and five units of agricultural machinery. Yesterday, the Kyiv regime carried out yet another massive attack on residential buildings and civilian facilities in various Russian regions, resulting in several deaths and injuries. I would like to stress that there was neither military infrastructure nor military personnel located in the immediate vicinity of these civilian objects. To be frank, we have long ceased to be surprised at the blatant double standards of the Western sponsors of the Kyiv regime. They have demonstrated selective blindness throughout the eight years during which the Kyiv regime shelled peaceful towns and cities in Donbas, under the cover of the Minsk Agreements. The same blindness grips the United States and its satellites when the Kyiv junta exposes its Nazi nature, which is manifested through the glorification of Nazi henchmen and Hitler collaborators who are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Jews, Poles, Russians, Roma and Ukrainians, executed by nationalist Ukrainian tormentors and executioners, as well as through the posting by Ukrainian soldiers of images on the Internet, in which they do not even try to conceal their Nazi symbols, flags and emblems. Only very few in the West can summon the courage to acknowledge this shameful issue. For example, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, during a visit to the Holocaust museum in one of the Slovak cities said, “We all talk about fascism and Nazism, yet we tacitly tolerate the fact that in Ukraine there are troop units running rampant, which have very clear insignia that link them to movements that we consider dangerous and prohibited. The international community must recognize that troops using Nazi insignia, who often comport themselves accordingly, cannot fight in Ukraine.” I stress once again that this kind of rhetoric is not something one hears very frequently in the West. Much more frequently we encounter attempts to either sweep under the rug facts that are inconvenient to the Kyiv regime or even to play into the hands of Ukrainian propagandists. For example, the position of Canada, whose authorities are actively considering whether, at the urging of Holocaust victims, to publicize a list of 900 Nazi criminals who fled to that country after the defeat of Nazi Germany. The argument advanced for not doing so is that such a disclosure could make the Ukrainian community in Canada feel uncomfortable — as if that had not already taken place a year ago, in September 2023, when the House of Commons of Canada welcomed and honoured former SS soldier Yaroslav Gunko, who served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, also known as the Galicia Division. Also in attendance at that celebration was the head of the Kyiv regime. It is hardly surprising, given the total lack of resistance from the West, that Nazism is flourishing in Ukraine. Everyone  — from soldiers to diplomats — worships Nazi criminals. The Ukrainian embassy in Japan reported, on its X account, that on 3 September the Ukrainian ambassador to Japan, Mr. Korsunsky, visited Yasukuni Shrine and mourned those who lost their lives for their country. The 14 people he mourned are known as Class A war criminals convicted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, also known as the Tokyo Trial. Their ashes rest at Yasukuni Shrine. It is those criminals that the Ukrainian diplomat serving the Nazi regime qualifies as people who lost their lives for their country. The main Japanese media outlets simply ignored that event. And the Japanese Government continues, as if nothing had happened, to provide cover for the Kyiv regime and to supply it with weapons. In that connection, I would like to draw the attention to the fact that this date — 3 September — was hardly coincidental. In Russia and many other countries, that date marked the seventy-ninth anniversary of the victory over militaristic Japan and the end of the Second World War. It is clear that the Ukrainian representative’s démarche was dictated by the desire to rewrite history. In Russia, we will never tolerate attempts to whitewash those who perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity in a number of Western countries. Specifically, the Japanese leadership has not yet repented for its aggression against a number of States, including the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in the Far East, which, incidentally, was a condition for its membership in the United Nations. Now Tokyo and its Western allies even have the audacity to make vague and inappropriate accusations that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is allegedly responsible for unleashing the Second World War. Under these circumstances, it is quite logical that in recent years the Western bloc, including Germany, Japan and Italy, has voted against the annual resolution we have submitted on the inadmissibility of the glorification of Nazism and the whitewashing of Nazi criminals. The West’s policies on the Kyiv regime clearly show that the fight against Nazism and neo-Nazism does not feature in its current plans. But it does feature in our plans, and we will not tolerate Nazis and neo-Nazis on our soil. That is one of the goals of our special military operation. There should therefore be no doubt that the Ukrainian Nazis and militarists will suffer the same fate as their German and Japanese predecessors.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting at the request of the delegations of Ecuador and France. I thank the Acting Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Joyce Msuya, for her briefing. Sierra Leone is deeply concerned about the escalating security situation and the deteriorating humanitarian situation relating to the conflict in Ukraine. The conflict has gone on for two and a half years with seemingly no end in sight. In recent months it has escalated drastically and the battlefield has expanded, as both Russia and Ukraine have reportedly intensified their offensives. According to the 9 August report of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, there has been an alarming increase in civilian casualties since March of this year, with July being the deadliest month, during which at least 219 civilians were killed and 1,018 were injured. The numbers of civilian casualties recorded in August, particularly in Ukraine, are similarly alarming, with at least 184 civilians killed and 856 injured. Ukraine’s emergency service has reported that Russia carried out its deadliest single attack this year on the east-central Ukrainian town of Poltava on Tuesday, 3 September, with 328 people injured and 55 reported dead in an ongoing rescue operation. The Russian Defence Ministry reported on Wednesday that the precision strike on the central Ukrainian city of Poltava targeted a Ukrainian armed forces centre where foreign instructors had been training communications and electronic warfare specialists and drone operators. Sierra Leone takes note of Ukraine’s letter of Wednesday, 4 September 2024 (S/2024/656), reporting major attacks that were carried out that same day on the western city of Lviv and the central city of Kryvyi Rih, which also resulted in civilian injuries and deaths, including of children. The attacks also reportedly resulted in significant damage to civilian infrastructure such as schools, educational facilities, medical institutions, stores and at least seven local architectural monuments  — all buildings located in the city’s historical area and the UNESCO buffer zone, which aims to protect world heritage property. Earlier today Russian officials reported a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on populated areas in Moscow, resulting in one death and damage to housing facilities. The attack resulted in the closure of three of Moscow’s four airports for several hours and the diversion of almost 50 flights. Sierra Leone reiterates that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law. We call on all sides to ensure compliance with the applicable international law, including international humanitarian law. Sierra Leone is deeply concerned about the immense impact of the conflict on civilians. That is more the case in Ukraine. According to reports of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, relentless attacks on front-line oblasts and urban centres across Ukraine continue to destroy homes, hospitals, schools, railway infrastructure and energy facilities. Entire neighbourhoods and villages have been destroyed. A major children’s hospital in Kyiv was recently attacked. Since the conflict began on 24 February 2022, 35,160 civilian casualties, including 11,520 dead and more than 20,000 injured, have been recorded. According to a flash update by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on 6 September, intensive attacks and shifts on the front lines have resulted in the closure of basic public services, forcing millions to flee high-risk locations in Donetsk oblast, separating families and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The attacks reported on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since March have drastically reduced the country’s electricity capacity, leading to daily power cuts for millions across Ukraine. Those outages, often lasting many hours, limit access to water, mobile networks, the Internet and public transportation and disrupt children’s ability to study, as many of them attend school remotely. Vulnerable groups, especially older people and persons with disabilities, have been particularly affected by those disruptions to essential services. Sierra Leone is deeply concerned about those developments as Ukraine approaches its third winter since the start of the conflict. We note that in order to address winter-specific needs the humanitarian community has launched a 2024–2025 winter response plan, appealing for $492.1 million to support 1.8 million people with critical winter-related humanitarian assistance, as outlined in the 2024 humanitarian needs and response plan. The plan aims to support timely preparedness and response. Only 28 per cent of the 2024 humanitarian appeal had been received as of the end of June, in a significant funding shortfall. Sierra Leone calls on the international community to support that plan in order to address the people’s pressing needs, enhance living conditions and ensure access to essential services. The attacks on nuclear energy infrastructure over the past two months pose serious security threats not only to Ukraine and Russia but to the entire region. We note the comments by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Grossi on his recent trip to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, warning against further attacks on the plant, which could further destabilize it, resulting in a nuclear disaster. We urge both parties to the conflict to refrain from launching attacks on nuclear power plants in both Ukraine and Russia. The alarming civilian casualty figures and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine underscore the urgent need for all parties to the conflict to prioritize the protection of civilians and refrain from further escalation and from pursuing the option of winning the war on the battlefield at all costs. Dialogue and diplomacy should be the primary tools employed to de-escalate tensions and pave the way for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The international community, including the Council, must remain steadfast in its commitment to supporting the pursuit of a just and sustainable peace. Sierra Leone once more calls for good-faith diplomatic efforts in pursuit of a peaceful resolution involving the parties to the conflict. Meaningful steps must be taken towards an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities. We urge the parties to the conflict to engage constructively, including on their legitimate concerns, to find a political and diplomatic solution, as envisaged in Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations.

I thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for her briefing. I also welcome the representative of Ukraine to today’s meeting. We remain profoundly concerned about the prevailing situation in Ukraine, as the security situation continues to deteriorate at an alarming scale. The consequences of the conflict have reached unprecedented levels of catastrophic severity, inflicting immeasurable human suffering. Regrettably, civilians continue to pay the ultimate and highest price of the conflict. With great distress, we are witnessing ongoing losses of life, injuries, human rights violations, massive forced displacement, refugees and the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, hospitals and water, gas and power systems. As the conflict persists with no signs of abating and with the prospects for a mutually acceptable solution remaining elusive, we sadly anticipate a further deterioration of the already dire security and humanitarian situation. According to the United Nations Development Programme, the level of destruction in Ukraine represents the loss of 18 years of progress in social and economic development. The estimated cost of reconstruction and recovery will exceed $448 billion over the next decade. While we acknowledge that there can be no humanitarian solution to this human-made crisis, our position on the humanitarian dimension of this conflict and others has been consistent and remains unchanged. We once again reiterate our four main points. First, the protection of civilians is the cornerstone of international humanitarian law. We therefore call on all parties to ensure the safety of civilians and fulfil their obligations in that regard. Secondly, the principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality must be scrupulously adhered to and upheld by all parties at all times. Thirdly, all parties must facilitate full, safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian personnel and relief to civilians in need. Lastly, ending the conflict is the only way to address its severe humanitarian consequences. In the light of those considerations, we reiterate our call for an urgent and immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to direct negotiations without any preconditions. Such negotiations should consider the legitimate security concerns of all the parties involved, with the aim of ensuring a peaceful, sustainable and lasting solution.

I thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for the update she provided and welcome the participation of the representative of Ukraine. We note with alarm the recent escalation in hostilities since the Council’s previous briefing on Ukraine (see S/PV.9714). The past two weeks in particular have seen harrowing reports of multiple civilian casualties across several regions of Ukraine. Those continued attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, represent a persistent pattern of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights, the second highest number of civilian casualties for the year was recorded in August, a figure no doubt exacerbated by the large-scale coordinated attacks that struck Ukraine during the week of 26 August. The attacks not only resulted in the killing of eight civilians but also caused widespread damage to energy facilities in 15 regions. We also note the reports of civilian casualties sustained in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation and the notable increase in attacks on schools and hospitals in Ukraine. Innocent civilians must not continue to pay the ultimate price in this war. Guyana reiterates its demand for an immediate end to the indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks and calls for full adherence to international humanitarian law. We also reiterate that every State Member of the United Nations has an obligation to uphold the Charter of the United Nations and the wider body of international law. We further call on the parties to the conflict to take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects from harm and to take all necessary measures to minimize the risk of civilian injuries and deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure. The Council has continued to meet month after month to discuss the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Yet each month we leave the Chamber without making any meaningful progress that could stop the bloodshed and bring relief to civilians. Today the death toll has reached almost 12,000 and is expected to climb even higher in the months to come. It is worth reminding Council members that we haves a responsibility to maintain international peace and security. It is simply not enough to acknowledge the horrors of the war, including the rising death toll. The Council must do more to stop the carnage and avoid normalizing the suffering of innocent civilians. Civilians are not collateral damage. As it has done before, Guyana demands an immediate end to the hostilities and urges the parties to commit to a serious political and diplomatic process towards ending the conflict and to engage in good faith. The war will leave behind a legacy of destruction and prolonged economic and social challenges. Its psychological trauma and residual effects will also be acutely felt for generations to come. That is why it must end. Guyana therefore reiterates its call for the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw its military forces from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine and find a peaceful end to the conflict. We further call on the Russian Federation to allow unfettered humanitarian access to the people in need of humanitarian assistance in the occupied territories and to sign an action plan with the United Nations to end and prevent grave violations against children. The international community must also scale up support for the humanitarian needs and response plan and a winter response plan. In conclusion, I once again reiterate Guyana’s support for all efforts aimed at ending the war and achieving sustainable peace for the people of Ukraine.

I would like to thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for her comprehensive briefing. As we discussed last week, the massive and widespread missile barrage directed at Ukraine has continued unabated. The United Nations has also reported a high number of civilian casualties. We are appalled by the scale of devastation and strongly condemn the attacks. We extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the families and friends of the victims in Ukraine. We also keep the injured in our thoughts and wish them a speedy recovery. Let us emphasize once again that there must be no impunity for war crimes or other atrocities, including attacks on civilians and critical civilian infrastructure. Those responsible for those heinous acts must be held accountable. Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, which should be a guardian of the international order based on the rule of law, is openly breaking international law through aggression against another sovereign country in an attempt to change the status quo by force. Russia is also blatantly violating Security Council resolutions by procuring ballistic missiles from North Korea to use against Ukraine. That conduct and those facts are truly serious challenges to the global peace and security system. Such disgraceful attempts must fail, because they could otherwise signal the collapse of the international order and the replacement of the rule of law with rule by force, where might makes right. Most Council members, and an overwhelming majority of the international community, would never accept such a world. We remain committed to the principled position that we have consistently upheld and that is grounded in the Charter of the United Nations. Let us be clear. The purposes and principles of the Charter are non-negotiable. Peace in Ukraine must be achieved in accordance with the Charter. Today the representative of the Russian Federation made malicious remarks about Japan. His remarks are totally unacceptable and do not reflect the facts or the achievements that Japan has been making for almost 80 years. Since the end of the Second World War Japan has consistently followed the path of a peace-loving nation, actively contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in its region and beyond. It is the Russian Federation that has disturbed the international order based on the rule of law and enshrined in the Charter. Since the aggression began Japan has provided Ukraine with more than $12 billion, including through humanitarian, recovery and reconstruction assistance. Japan will continue to steadfastly and seamlessly support Ukraine’s economic development, from emergency assistance and daily livelihood reconstruction to more advanced stages of industrial rebuilding. In conclusion, as a member of the Security Council bearing a responsibility for international peace and security, as a country that stands by its principled positions and as a nation of peace, we continue to demand Russia’s immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal from Ukraine. Our firm support for Ukraine is unwavering. Japan will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine.

I thank the Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Joyce Msuya, for her briefing. Once again, the Security Council is meeting in the wake of intense Russian attacks across Ukraine. In the past few days, cities from the west to the east of the country have been the target of waves of attacks, some of them among the deadliest since the start of Russia’s military aggression. The inhabitants of Lviv, Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, Poltava, Kyiv and the Sumy and Donetsk regions, among others, continue to pay the price for that violence. Switzerland condemns those attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. We are horrified by the number of victims, including many children, and by the considerable damage caused to homes and health and educational facilities, once again disrupting education at the start of a new school year. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We are particularly dismayed by the attacks on areas where people who have fled the front lines have sought refuge, only to see their lives disrupted once again. It bears repeating that a war of aggression can never be justified. In addition, wars have clearly defined limits under international humanitarian law that all parties to a conflict must respect in all circumstances. Notably, they must respect at all times the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants and between civilian and military objects. Directing attacks at civilian populations and civilian objects constitutes a war crime. Furthermore, in the conduct of hostilities every possible precaution must be taken to avoid any loss of civilian life or damage to civilian objects. Such serious attacks must be thoroughly and independently investigated and those responsible held accountable. The work of humanitarian partners in Ukraine is invaluable. In the first six months of this year, aid organizations provided assistance to 5.6 million people, and civilians depend on that vital support every day. Switzerland applauds the tireless efforts of humanitarian personnel, whether they are providing immediate aid after attacks alongside first responders or assisting those forced to flee areas close to the front lines. They often do so at the risk of their own safety. International humanitarian law requires all parties to allow and facilitate humanitarian access to civilians in need. The humanitarian situation risks deteriorating further with the imminent onset of the cold season, not least because of the extensive damage to infrastructure. Two weeks ago, a large-scale attack by Russian forces on Ukrainian energy infrastructure  — the ninth in five months  — once again caused considerable damage. We remain concerned about the impact of the deteriorating energy system on Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. We therefore welcome the ongoing efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure nuclear safety and security in the region. Switzerland will continue to provide humanitarian aid. We are supporting the Ukraine humanitarian fund and are providing material support in the energy sector for the winter. At this critical time, coordinated international support is essential. It is crucial that we act quickly and in a coordinated manner to reduce the impact of mines and other explosive devices on populations. It is in that spirit that Switzerland, in collaboration with Ukraine, is organizing the Ukraine Mine Action Conference on 17 and 18 October in Lausanne. We are counting on high-level participation from all of the countries involved in that effort. However, if lasting improvement is to be achieved, the war must end. We call on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory. We remain determined to contribute to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Slovenia. I would like to thank Ms. Msuya for her briefing. After the Security Council last met on this topic (see S/PV.9682), when the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital was hit in early July, the killing and destruction across Ukraine intensified. Since then, more than 1,700 long-range weapon systems, including missiles and drone strikes, have hit homes, schools and hospitals. According to the World Health Organization, more than a third of global attacks on health-care facilities during the months of June and July occurred in Ukraine. As we heard in one of the previous briefings, July was the deadliest month for civilians in almost two years. Sadly, the escalation continued, as became clear with the strike of 26 August, when Russia launched what seems to have been the largest air assault since the war began. More than 200 drones and missiles were launched at targets across Ukraine. The attacks continued unabated throughout last week, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds, damaging and destroying civilian infrastructure in multiple cities throughout Ukraine, from Lviv to Poltava and Sumy to Zaporizhzhya. Moreover, the United Nations has repeatedly documented Russia’s double-tap strike tactics against civilians and first responders, which are a grave violation of international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime. As we heard from Ms. Msuya, when it comes to critical civilian infrastructure, energy infrastructure ends up in the cross hairs of Russian missiles particularly often. Russia has reportedly destroyed 80 per cent of Ukraine’s thermal energy generation and one third of its hydro-generation capacity. In June alone, 33 attacks on energy infrastructure were registered. Let me be clear. Such sites are not legitimate military targets, and those attacks clearly run counter to the provisions of international humanitarian law. The only goal here is to oppress the civilian population and make their lives harder during the approaching winter months. There have been no exceptions to that tactic in the past few weeks, when electricity-distribution infrastructure was a main target. That had far-reaching consequences for nuclear safety and security, as the widespread strikes caused major fluctuations in the power supply and led to the temporary shutdown or disconnection of reactor units in two Ukrainian nuclear power plants. The nuclear safety and security situation in the region is perilous, and we must ensure full respect for the seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security and the five basic principles for the protection of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. A nuclear accident in the midst of war would be devastating for the whole region and would have global consequences. The Council must engage in order to address the issue and prevent that from happening. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. The representative of China has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

I would like to respond briefly to the statement by the representative of the United States. China’s position on the Ukraine issue has been crystal clear, namely, promoting peace talks and advocating for a political settlement. That is what we have been saying, and we always do what we say. Thus far, all the diplomatic efforts by China serve only one goal, that is peace. Our diplomatic efforts do not side with anyone or favour anyone. What we observe are the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. What we respect are the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. We hope that the United States can make genuine efforts towards an early ceasefire, instead of constantly boasting about the large number of weapons it has supplied to the battlefield, much less smearing and attacking the genuine efforts by China and other countries.

I now give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.

I recognize the continuing occupation of the seat of the Soviet Union by the dictator’s envoy or, rather, the presence of a lonely young Russian diplomat abandoned by her cowardly adult male colleagues. The whining of the Russian envoy about a defence operation on Russian territory is a striking contrast to Putin’s radio silence and the denial, by the Russian Ministry of Defence, of events on Russian territory. It is not the first time that the Russian envoy is out of tune with his masters. Let us recall the night of the full-scale invasion in this Chamber. We addressed the Security Council with a request to convene this meeting owing to the recent spike in missile terror by Russia against the Ukrainian people and critical infrastructure. That escalation is causing widespread suffering and devastation and must be addressed before it leads to an even larger humanitarian catastrophe. It speaks volumes that we are meeting in this Chamber while simultaneously participating in the opening of the seventy-ninth session of the General Assembly, taking place right now. This will be the fourth session during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and it is opening not with the fanfare that usually accompanies the beginning of a new General Assembly annual cycle, but with the explosions of ballistic missiles and the cries of wounded Ukrainian civilians. Indeed, if Russia had not started the war, we could have been sitting in the General Assembly Hall, sharing positive expectations for the forthcoming eightieth anniversary of our Organization. Instead, we hear the Secretary-General’s acknowledgment that today’s global order simply does not work for anyone. Instead, we hear the former President of the General Assembly admitting that we do not have the capacity nor do we have the mission to force Russians to respect international law. Meanwhile, on the eve of the Summit of the Future, we are debating whether we can even use the word aggression in its final document. And all this time, Russia continues to openly wipe its feet on the Charter of the United Nations and to kill Ukrainians. That is what we have today, and if it does not change, it will shape our future  — a future that will differ drastically from the vision to be enshrined in the Pact for the Future. The series of recent tragedies in Ukraine, occurring almost daily, indicates that the war of annihilation against my country continues, fuelled by blind hatred and a criminal instinct to kill and destroy. The United Nations human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine reported at least 184 civilians killed and 856 injured in Ukraine in August, the second-highest monthly number of civilian casualties in 2024, immediately after July. That means that Russia is intent on maintaining a dangerously high level of threat to civilians, considering them a priority target. Over the past two weeks, the Russian attacks have resulted in a significant number of casualties and much destruction. On 30 August, Russia used guided aerial bombs to strike a residential building along with a nearby playground and an educational facility in the city of Kharkiv, killing at least 7 people, including a child, and injuring 77 others, including 18 children. On 1 September, the Russian missile attack on a centre for children’s social and psychological rehabilitation and an orphanage in Sumy injured at least 18 civilians, including 6 children. On the same day, Russia launched 8 ballistic missiles targeting residential buildings, the main indoor sports arena, a shopping centre and a recreation area in Kharkiv. That series of strikes injured at least 44 people, including 7 children. The next day, 2 September, a barrage of 35 Russian missiles and 23 uncrewed aerial vehicles targeted the Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. In Kyiv, for instance, Russian missiles damaged the Islamic cultural centre, including a mosque and a prayer hall. On 3 September, two Russian ballistic missiles hit an educational institution and a nearby hospital in Poltava, killing 58 and injuring 325 people. There were casualties from Russian attacks in Zaporizhzhya and Dnipro that day. An eight-year-old boy was among those killed in Zaporizhzhya, where a Russian missile struck a hotel complex. In Sumy, Russia attacked the building of the university with a guided aerial missile. On 4 September, Russia brought enormous pain and suffering to Lviv. The images of Yaroslav Bazylevych, the injured local resident who, in a single moment, lost his wife and three daughters after a Russian missile hit their house, have become yet another symbol of the cruelty of Russia’s war as well as a reminder that Russia’s war crimes must not go unpunished. Yaroslav’s daughters were not the only children killed that day in Lviv, as Russian missiles also took the life of an infant. The scale of destruction was also high, as 156 buildings in Lviv were damaged in total, including three schools and two medical institutions. Seventy-four people were injured, many of them seriously, following the shelling of Pavlograd, in the Dnipro region, that occurred on 6 September. The next day, civilians were killed in Nikopol, in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Russia continues to use ballistic missiles from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in its attacks against the Ukrainian people and our civilian infrastructure. We are also deeply concerned about the reports of the possible transfer of ballistic missiles by Iran to the Russian Federation. The deepening of military and technical cooperation between Russia and Iran poses serious security threats not only for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe, the Middle East and the world. We call on the international community to increase pressure on Tehran and Moscow in order to protect international peace and security. It is quite evident that the killing of civilians and strikes on critical infrastructure are key elements of Russia’s war strategy. Such deliberate cruelty is aimed, among other things, at intimidation — not only of Ukraine, but mostly of our partners — in order to prevent decisions that would allow Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes on Russian territory. That is the logic of a gangster, which is essentially what Putin is — one should beat a victim with such cruelty that passers-by do not even try to defend them, but rather cross to the other side of the street out of fear that the same may happen to them. However, the world is not the criminal neighbourhood in Leningrad where Putin grew up, and the international community is not a group of intimidated passers-by afraid of a street altercation. Putin has already shed so much blood that Russia’s attempts to intimidate the world with red lines simply do not work. It is clear that peaceful civilians in Ukraine will be protected much better if we shift our aim from the missiles over our heads to their launch sites and places of storage. There are similar motives guiding the Russian military command to give orders to execute Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). We have regularly drawn attention to that war crime committed by the Russian army. All indications suggest that we are dealing not with isolated incidents at a low level but with a practice sanctioned by the higher command and endorsed by the political leadership. That is evidenced by the massive scale on which such crimes are committed, the demonstrative way in which they are committed, the extensive video documentation accompanied by a real public relations campaign and the glorification of such acts on Russian social media, as well as the absence of any, even formal, reaction by Russian law enforcement. The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has been investigating at least 28 incidents of summary executions of 73 Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian military. Since November 2023, the number of Ukrainian soldiers who were captured and then executed by the Russians has increased. Most of such incidents are recorded in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya regions. One of the most recent investigations was launched after footage, which was filmed from a drone in late August, emerged from near the city of Pokrovsk in Donbas. The footage shows Russian troops executing three Ukrainian soldiers who were surrendering after their trench had been overrun. Other footage, which emerged on Russian social media last week, shows the alleged execution-style killing of a captured and unarmed Ukrainian serviceman by a member of the Russian military. The killer commented on his crime with the propaganda narrative, “our land that we have come to liberate from Nazism”. Those bogus justifications for killing Ukrainians on Ukrainian soil should be borne in mind by the United Nations Member States every time Russia attempts to monopolize and misuse the common victory over Nazism in the Second World War here on the United Nations platform while whitewashing its current crimes. We reiterate that if prisoners of war surrender, visibly indicating their intent, and are unarmed, any summary execution is unequivocally a war crime. The alleged executions constitute war crimes and are seen as part of a broader, orchestrated policy by the Kremlin. War crimes shall not be subject to any statute of limitations, and Ukraine will persist in seeking justice until all perpetrators are held accountable. We also reiterate our call for the Security Council to address the appalling practices of execution, ill-treatment and torture of Ukrainian POWs by Russia. On 8 September, Russia again resorted to a ritual action which they call elections, exploiting some procedural resemblance to genuine political processes in democratic countries. Once again, Russia tried to extend that process to the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine. The so-called elections in the Russian Federation long ago turned into a farce that has nothing to do with a manifestation of people’s power, and holding elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in violation of the norms and principles of international law, actually delegitimizes Russia’s political system. Russian elections in the occupied territories not only are aimed at legitimizing the occupying Administration but also serve as an instrument of intimidation used to test the loyalty of local residents. Reluctance to participate in that farce may lead to suspicions of disloyalty, accusations of collaboration with Ukraine and subsequent persecution. In that regard, we reiterate that results of the so- called elections on the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are null and void, and the elections themselves are illegitimate. We emphasize that all those involved in the preparation and holding of the so- called elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine will be held accountable in accordance with Ukrainian law. Ukraine does want to end the war because, more than anything, Ukraine wants peace. But Ukraine also wants to save its people, as well as its statehood. It is the Russian dictator who does not want peace and is obsessed with territorial conquests. He wants Ukrainian cities, or rather their ruins, as a symbol of his victory. And that is why Ukraine needs the strength and the ability to destroy the Russian means of killing and destruction that are situated far from the Ukrainian cities that are their targets, that is, where they are stationed and at a time when they pose a threat only to those who use them and not to peaceful Ukrainians. We need to force Russia to seek peace  — a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as envisaged by both General Assembly resolution ES-11/6 and the Ukrainian peace formula. That is the only path to justice, namely, the Ukrainian peace formula, respect for the norms of international law and the restoration of Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity.

I now give the floor to the representative of Lithuania.

I have the honour to address the Council on behalf of the three Baltic States  — Estonia, Latvia and my own country, Lithuania. We also align ourselves with the statement to be delivered on behalf of the European Union. We congratulate Slovenia on assuming the presidency of the Security Council this month and express appreciation to its delegation for holding this meeting to consider the recent attacks on civilians in Ukraine perpetrated by Russia in its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. We also thank Ms. Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, for her briefing. We commend the work of the United Nations in Ukraine in providing needed humanitarian assistance under increasingly difficult conditions due to Russia’s war of aggression, which is also targeting humanitarian organizations in Ukraine. We welcome in particular the strong condemnation of Russia’s recent attacks by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine and the immediate actions that were taken aimed at providing first aid, psychological support, food, repair materials and finances. For our part, the Baltic States continue to boost their contributions to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and its managed funds in Ukraine to support its important work. Since the Council’s most recent meeting on this issue (see S/PV.9714), Russia’s rockets and bombs have continued targeting educational institutions, hospitals and residential areas in Ukraine. Those attacks targeted critical energy infrastructure and residential buildings across 15 Ukrainian regions, including that of the capital, Kyiv. The appalling civilian toll from Russia’s strikes on residential areas in Kharkiv on 30 August, which claimed at least six lives, including that of a child, and left more than 80 others wounded, is emblematic of Russia’s desperation and complete disregard for human life and international humanitarian law. The most recent cruel air strikes against Poltava and Lviv killed more than 50 people and wounded more than 200 others, including three children and their mother. Owing to constant Russian attacks against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure, more than 80 per cent of Ukraine’s thermal energy generation and a third of its hydropower generation have been destroyed. As the cold season is approaching, we must continue humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine with a special focus on the energy sector. The Baltic States reiterate their strong condemnation and ever-growing outrage at Russia’s continuing war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law committed as part of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. We call on the international community to unequivocally condemn the aggressive Russian nationalism fomented by the Putin regime and Russia’s continuing imperialist ambitions, which are well known to all the peoples in its neighbourhood, not excluding our own nations. We also call on Belarus, Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to stop providing military supplies and assistance to the criminal Russian regime. We are alarmed by the reports of Iranian ballistic missile transfers to Russia and news from Latvia where a Russian military Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle crashed on Saturday after entering the Latvian airspace from Belarus. An aerial vehicle illegally violated Latvia’s airspace while carrying explosives. Those actions are a prime example of Russian double standards. Russia keeps convening the Security Council to criticize weapons transfers to Ukraine, while violating Security Council resolutions and importing different types of weapons from Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to prolong its aggression against Ukraine, a sovereign State defending its territory. Russia’s highest leadership and their accomplices must be held accountable for the crimes of aggression through the establishment of a special tribunal that is based on international law and enjoys the broadest cross-regional support. All countries should insist on implementing the binding order of the International Court of Justice to halt the military offensive by Russia against Ukraine and undertake steps to enforce arrest warrants of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued for Russia’s top political and military leadership. A failure to arrest an accused criminal who is wanted by the ICC enables impunity and undermines the international criminal law system. The Baltic States reiterate their unwavering support for Ukraine’s exercise of its inherent right for self-defence and our solidarity with Ukraine in seeking to restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders. We will do everything possible to further strengthen our support to Ukraine until victory.

I now give the floor to Mr. Lambrinidis. Mr. Lambrinidis: I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Free Trade Association country Liechtenstein, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Monaco and San Marino, align themselves with this statement. I would like to thank the Acting Under-Secretary- General of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Joyce Msuya, for yet another sobering briefing, which, just weeks after our previous meeting (see S/PV.9714), again confronts us with the enormous, continuing, and even intensifying, civilian cost of Russia’s war of aggression. The European Union commends the courage and professionalism of all humanitarian workers risking their lives to alleviate human suffering. During the past two weeks, the Council has witnessed a series of additional massive Russian drone and missile attacks against cities throughout Ukraine, as we heard throughout this meeting from other speakers, from Lviv to Poltava, from Kramatorsk to Kyiv, in open disregard of the repeated calls of Council members for such illegal attacks to stop. On 26 August, Russia launched an unprecedented 236 missiles and drones. On 3 September, at least 55 people were killed and 328 were injured in Poltava alone. We repeat our call on Russia to immediately halt its illegal war of aggression, including its unrelenting air strikes against Ukraine’s civilians and civilian and critical infrastructure. It has hit residential buildings, hospitals, schools, power plants and playgrounds. That is unacceptable under any circumstances. Ukraine has lost up to 80 per cent of its pre-war thermal electricity production capacity. It is clear Russia is attempting to pile on the pressure on the Ukrainian people ahead of a cold winter. It underlines the need for Ukraine to be able to exercise its legitimate right to self-defence under the Charter of the United Nations to restore its territorial integrity and protect its existence as an independent and sovereign country. We are very concerned by the recent reports indicating that Iran has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles. If confirmed, that delivery would represent a substantive material escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s illegal war of aggression. The EU will remain vigilant and, if necessary, will respond swiftly and in coordination with international partners. We call upon all countries, including the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Belarus, to refrain from any actions that may amount to complicity in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. As we have heard frequently from United Nations briefers in this Chamber, Russia has cut off an estimated 1.5 million Ukrainians from humanitarian aid. While Russia wages a war of aggression, it shows no concern for the welfare of civilians in the areas it temporarily occupies. Russia has an obligation to facilitate the full, safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need. It should also immediately cease torture, sexual violence and the arbitrary detention of civilians, as reported by the United Nations. In that context, the European Union is supporting Ukraine with emergency and recovery assistance in a wide variety of sectors, such as energy, health, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, to alleviate the consequences of Russian strikes on civilians. And of course, we will continue to do so. In our previous meeting the Russian representative openly advertised his country’s intentions to capture  — or, in his words, “liberate”  — Ukrainian villages and to alter their names and status, as part of Russia’s attempted annexation of Ukrainian territories. Our credibility requires that such blatant violations of the United Nations Charter and their celebration in this Chamber face an immediate answer here. All States have an obligation under international law to not recognize annexations, let alone to commit them and then celebrate them. That includes not recognizing the results of Russia’s so-called elections in Crimea conducted last weekend. Russia and its leadership must be held fully accountable for waging a war of aggression and for other most serious crimes under international law, as well as for the massive damage caused by its war. We recall the six arrest warrants were issued by the International Criminal Court, including against the Russian President, for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children. All State parties to the Rome Statute are under the obligation to execute that arrest warrant. In conclusion, later this month our leaders will gather in New York to recommit to the rules-based multilateral order, which the United Nations represents. The Summit of the Future and the many other gatherings during high-level week will offer a unique opportunity to re-mobilize international support towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Many proposals have been floated in that regard, including by members of the Council. What is undeniable, however, is that any peace must be based on the United Nations Charter and international law, as clearly laid out by the General Assembly as well.

I now give the floor to the representative of Sweden.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the five Nordic countries, namely, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and my own country, Sweden. We thank the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for its briefing and for shedding light on yet another horrendous wave of Russian attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Ukraine, including residential buildings, hospitals, water treatment plants, places of worship, schools and playgrounds. In its war of aggression, Russia has chosen terror to achieve its political goal, that is, the subjugation of Ukraine and the annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory. That blatant disregard for international law and human lives requires the strongest of condemnations. It requires that those responsible be held to account and that the international community remain firm in its support for a just and sustainable peace in line with international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly. For years in this very Chamber, we have heard Russia’s attempts to justify its aggression. We have heard that Ukraine, NATO or the West in general were poised to launch an attack on Russia. We have heard the Russian stories about killer mosquitoes, secret nuclear programmes and bio-labs in Ukraine. In reality, all those Russian claims were made to sow confusion and hide the simple truth that the Ukrainian people had chosen something that the Kremlin feared more than anything else, namely, democracy, liberty and justice. For the Kremlin, the uncomfortable truth is that there is no Russophobic conspiracy. What there is is an overwhelming global majority of United Nations States Members that seek to uphold international law and the United Nations Charter; a majority that seeks to protect the inviolability of sovereignty and territorial integrity; a majority that refuses to accept spheres of influence and that might makes right. To our Ukrainian friends and the rest of the world, we have but one message: we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. President Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan is a sustainable path towards peace, and it should continue to enjoy global support. To Russia, we say this: leave Ukraine; choose a future where the great potential of the Russian people is used to advance humankind, not bomb its neighbours. Until a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace has been reached, in line with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, we demand that Russia ensure safe, timely and unimpeded humanitarian access to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. We demand that it allow United Nations inspections to verify its unsubstantiated claims of civilian casualties. And we demand that it allow the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war. International humanitarian law requires it.

I now give the floor to the representative of Poland.

While aligning myself with the statement delivered earlier by the observer of the European Union, I wish to add a few remarks in my national capacity. Allow me to start by thanking the Acting Under- Secretary-General of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Joyce Msuya, for her briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression and directly affecting my country, Poland. We host one of the largest communities of Ukrainian refugees, currently approaching almost 1 million people. Poland will continue to provide humanitarian assistance for those in need and to support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction and modernization, which will be aligned with Kyiv’s European perspective. All the necessary actions should be taken to avoid a scenario of a protracted humanitarian crisis. The approaching winter remains a major concern given the threats posed to the energy sector. Russia’s deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian facilities, such as water, gas and power systems, has been relentless. The widespread devastation has deprived the people essential services across the country. Just a few days ago, a missile strike in the city of Poltava proved to be the deadliest single attack of this year. Poland once again condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s continued violations of international law, including human rights law and international humanitarian law. We remain committed to holding Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine, including large-scale assaults against civilians, the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment, sexual and gender- based violence, deportation and the forced transfer of Ukrainian children, as well as the arbitrary deprivation of the liberty of Ukrainian citizens. Russia’s war, supported by Belarus, constitutes a grave violation of both United Nations and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe commitments and principles. We are of the view that the Ukrainian peace formula is the only viable peace proposal on the table. It is up to Ukraine — and it should be up to Ukraine — a victim of unprovoked and unlawful aggression, to set the conditions for peace talks in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. Russia must stop trying to shift the blame on others. The ongoing conflict is Moscow’s sole responsibility, nobody else’s. It is our duty to Ukraine and its people, as well as to the United Nations Charter, to support those whose rights are being brutally and continuously violated. Poland, for its part, stands in solidarity with the victim of the aggression and will not cease to call on Russia to end the senseless killing and destruction of its neighbour.