Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenča, whose portfolio covers both Political and Peacebuilding issues, voice concerns about attacks on energy infrastructure as winter approaches.
Drones, death and destruction
Mr. Jenča said at least 208 Ukrainian civilians were killed and 1,220 injured in September, making it the month with the highest number of civilian casualties this year.
Overall, 11,973 civilians have been killed, including 622 children, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the United Nations human rights office. OHCHR.
During this time, nearly 26,000 people were injured, including 1,686 children.
He said civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure were reported daily in Ukraine, with Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Sumy regions bearing the brunt.
The latest attacks took place that morning and over the weekend, resulting in several casualties in Zaporizhzhia and Kryviy Rih. The ongoing conflict also prompted authorities in the Kharkiv region to further expand mandatory evacuation to about 7,000 people.
While the worst impacts of the war continue to be felt in frontline communities in eastern and southern Ukraine, “Death and destruction are also a daily occurrence outside of war zones.he said.
This includes residential areas of the capital Kyiv, which were again targeted by drones the same morning and over the weekend.
He noted that Kyiv was reportedly attacked by more than 130 drones on October 16. The western city of Lviv as well as Odesa in the south were also repeatedly attacked, leading to many civilian casualties. often.
“We are also concerned about the impact of Fighting continues along the Russia-Ukraine borderespecially in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, after the August attack by Ukraine,” he said.
Attack the gates
Russia has also resumed attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports in recent weeks. According to local authorities, since September 1, six ships as well as grain infrastructure at ports have been damaged.
This leads to Wheat prices increased more than 6% from September 1 to October 14, while hedging prices for Ukrainian exporters increased, affecting the agricultural sector.
Mr. Jenča reminded the ambassadors that the safety and sustainability of agricultural exports passing through the Black Sea remain important for global food security.
In this regard, the United Nations continues to cooperate with Ukraine, Russia and Türkiye as well as other relevant parties to support freedom and safety of navigation through this important channel.
Energy infrastructure is affected
Continuing, he said that “Russia’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have become one of the more hideous signs of this war.. “
Large-scale destruction and disruption of electricity and water supplies across the country are likely to worsen living conditions for millions of Ukrainians in the third winter of war.
“Vulnerable groups – including the elderly, people with disabilities and internally displaced people – are likely to be disproportionately affected. Many people may soon find themselves trapped in homes without heating and other essential amenities,” he warned.
Millions of people are in need
These conditions are also expected to worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Ukraine, where some 7.2 million people received humanitarian aid in the first eight months of this year.
He expressed deep concern about 1.5 million people the UN cannot accurately reach in the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regionscurrently occupied by Russia.
“We reiterate our call for the safe, rapid and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all civilians in need, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law,” he said. economy,” he said, before calling on donors to increase support for the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. more than half funded.
Concerns for prisoners of war
Mr. Jenča noted that widespread and systematic reports of torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) remain a deep concern.
In interviews conducted since March by the United Nations human rights office, OHCHR, 97% of Ukrainian prisoners provided detailed and consistent information about torture or mistreated while in captivity, 68% reported experiencing sexual violence.
Meanwhile, Half of the Russian prisoners of war interviewed said they had been tortured or mistreatment, mainly during the early stages of internship.
“We call on the authorities of the Russian Federation as well as Ukraine to stop this practice and hold the perpetrators accountable,” he said.
Mr. Jenča also pointed out a positive development. Last Friday, each side exchanged 95 prisoners of war, which the United Nations welcomed, along with the exchange of hundreds of bodies.
The nuclear threat looms
Turning to other concerns, he noted that the safety and security of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities remained in danger as long as the war continued, and the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in particular precarious.
“Frequently reported explosions, drone strikes, gunfire and constant disruption of external power sources increase the risk of a nuclear accident,” he said.
He added that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is also monitoring the impact of reported military activities in the vicinity of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia.
“Preventing nuclear accidents during war is very important. Attacking a nuclear power plant is unthinkable and unacceptable,” he said. “We continue to call on all those involved to exercise maximum restraint.”
Women, peace and security
Mr. Jenča looked forward to the Council Open Debate on women, peace and security to be held this weekend. He called for the full and equal participation of Ukrainian women in all efforts towards a better future for their country.
Furthermore, next month will mark 1,000 days of “this brutal war…which continues to cause profound human suffering, threaten regional stability, and exacerbate divisions globally.”
he said Pact for the future “committing us all to work toward a future of hope, cooperation and peace.”
United Nations member states recently adopted a landmark document that addresses sustainable development, international peace and security, science and technology, youth and future generations. as well as transforming global governance.
“This commitment to efforts for peace also requires further efforts for peace in Ukrainehe said.
