“Nowhere is safe in Ukraine,” said Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe at the UN Department of Political Affairs (UNDPPA).
Citing figures from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, he said civilian casualties reached a three-year high in June, with 6,754 civilians killed or injured in the first half of 2025 alone.
Russian forces launched over 5,000 long-range munitions against Ukraine so far in July, including a record-breaking 728 drones in a single day. Major cities such as Kyiv and Odesa have been hit by swarms of missiles and drones.
Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya echoed those words, saying “there is no safe place left in Ukraine” as the use of explosive weapons in populated areas has left cities reeling.
A rehabilitation centre for persons with disabilities in Kharkiv, maternity wards, schools, and energy infrastructure have all come under fire in recent weeks.
Joyce Msuya, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefs the Security Council meeting on maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.
Spiralling humanitarian situation
The humanitarian impact is worsening sharply, she continued.
“Nearly 13 million people need assistance, but limited funding means we can reach only a fraction of them,” Ms. Msuya warned. As of now, only 34 per cent of the $2.6 billion required for this year’s humanitarian response has been received.
Ukraine’s displacement crisis also continues to grow. Over 3.7 million people remain displaced within the country, while nearly six million are refugees abroad. More than 26,000 people have newly registered at transit centres since April alone.
Strikes in Russia
The senior UN officials also expressed concern over reported civilian casualties from Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia, including in Belgorod, Kursk and Moscow.
While the UN could not independently verify these incidents, Mr. Jenča reiterated: “International law clearly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. We strongly condemn all such attacks – wherever they occur.”
Concerns over nuclear safety
Attacks near Ukraine’s nuclear facilities have further alarmed the UN.
Earlier this month, drone strikes hit Enerhodar, where Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant staff live, and drones have been detected near other operating plants.
“Any nuclear incident must be avoided at all costs,” Mr. Jenča said.
ASG Miroslav Jenča (on screen) briefs the Security Council meeting on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.
Political momentum needed
While some diplomatic movement continues – including recent prisoner exchanges and talks in Istanbul – UN officials called for intensified political will toward a ceasefire.
“The heartbreaking and rising human toll of the past nearly three-and-a-half years of war underscores the urgency of a complete, immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” Mr. Jenča said, “as the first step towards a just and lasting peace.”
The UN Security Council is meeting on Friday morning to discuss the situation in Ukraine amid mounting concerns over the intensifying hostilities and growing humanitarian needs. Senior UN political affairs and humanitarian officials are expected to brief the Council. Follow our live coverage from UN News, in coordination with UN Meetings Coverage, for updates from the chamber. UN News App users can follow here.
The dispute dates to 1953 when France first mapped the border, but tensions resurfaced in May after the death of a Cambodian soldier in a border skirmish.
Secretary-General António Guterres is “following with concern” reports of the clashes, his Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists in New York.
“The Secretary-General urges both sides to exercise maximum restraint and address any issues through dialogue and in a spirit of good neighbourliness, with a view to finding a lasting solution to the dispute,” he said.
Inter-agency humanitarian assistance in Syria
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) led an inter-agency visit to Rural Damascus governorate in Syria on Thursday to assess needs and provide assistance to more than 500 families displaced by recent violence in nearby Sweida governorate.
The UN agencies visited the Sayyeda Zeinab community and plan to visit the neighbouring Dar’a Governorate in the coming days, where humanitarians are supporting tens of thousands of people displaced by violence.
In Rural Damascus and Dar’a, OCHA and its partners are expanding protection services for displaced people. This includes psychosocial first aid and case management support for children.
Also on Thursday, the World Food Programme (WFP) distributed urgent food assistance to displaced families. The agency additionally continues to provide assistance across the country, including to Syrians returning home after a decade of conflict.
Limited access to Sweida
On Wednesday, a second convoy from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) arrived in Sweida, with UN agencies providing support.
The convoy included food, wheat flour, fuel, medicines and health supplies. Medical supplies were delivered to the Sweida national hospital, and wheat flour was dispatched to bakeries.
Across Sweida, Rural Damascus and Dar’a governorates, the UN has distributed over 1,600 dignity kits to displaced women and girls. UN partners are also providing recreational activities, awareness sessions on gender-based violence and support for women and children.
But despite efforts in neighbouring governorates and increasing support in Sweida, full and direct access to the conflict-ridden governorate itself is limited due to security constraints.
Nonetheless, the UN is continuing dialogue with Syrian authorities to facilitate direct access to Sweida.
Nationwide attacks in Ukraine
OCHA further reported that at least five civilians were killed, and 46 others injured, in attacks across several regions of Ukraine over the past two days.
Kharkiv in the northeast was one of the more affected regions, where a glide bomb strike injured at least 16 people on Thursday, and fighting killed three and injured five others on Wednesday.
Additionally, overnight attacks in central Ukraine injured seven people in Cherkasy and four in Odesa City, damaging homes, health centres, schools, shopping areas and a market.
Civilians in the southern Kherson region, the eastern Donetsk region and the southeast Zaporizhzhia region were also affected.
Evacuations and humanitarian response
Following the overnight attacks in Cherkasy and Odesa, aid workers assisted first responders by providing first aid, meals, shelter materials, hygiene kits, emotional support and legal assistance to affected families.
Amid the hostilities, nearly 600 people were evacuated from the Donetsk region, and, in the past day, another 24 were evacuated from the northeastern region of Sumy.
This is the only sustainable path to global security, he told ministers at a high-level open debate of the Security Council on Tuesday.
The Secretary-General emphasised that the UN Charter’s tools – negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and more – remain a lifeline when tensions escalate, grievances fester and states lose trust in each other.
These tools are needed now more than ever, he stressed, as conflicts rage and international law is violated with impunity.
“The cost is staggering – measured in human lives, shattered communities and lost futures. We need look no further than the horror show in Gaza – with a level of death and destruction without parallel in recent times.”
The risk of starvation looms and aid operations are being denied the space and safety to function. UN premises, such as the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the World Health Organization (WHO)’s main warehouse, have been hit despite parties being notified of their locations.
“These premises are inviolable and must be protected under international humanitarian law – without exception,” Mr. Guterres reiterated.
Peace is a choice – make it
From Gaza to Ukraine, from the Sahel to Sudan, Haiti and Myanmar, “conflict is raging, international law is being trampled, and hunger and displacement are at record levels,” he continued, adding that terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crime also remain “persistent scourges” pushing security further out of reach.
“Peace is a choice. And the world expects the Security Council to help countries make this choice.”
Mr. Guterres pointed to the UN Charter’s bedrock obligation in Article 2.3 that “all Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means”, and to Chapter VI, which empowers the Security Council to support “negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice.”
Action 16 of last year’s Pact for the Future urges states to recommit to preventive diplomacy, he said, commending Pakistan – the Council President for July – for tabling a resolution encouraging fuller use of those tools, which was adopted unanimously at the meeting.
Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the Security Council high-level open debate.
P5 must overcome divisions
Security Council members – “in particular its permanent members” – must overcome divisions, the Secretary-General said, reminding them that even during the Cold War, Council dialogue underpinned peacekeeping missions and humanitarian access, and helped prevent a third world war.
He urged members to keep channels open, build consensus and make the body “more representative” of today’s geopolitical realities with more inclusive, transparent and accountable working methods.
Mr. Guterres also urged deeper cooperation with regional and subregional organizations.
Mediation can work even amid war, he said, noting the third anniversary of the Black Sea Initiative and a related memorandum with Russia that enabled grain movements during the conflict in Ukraine.
Renew commitment to multilateralism
States must honour their obligations under the Charter; international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, and the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence, Mr. Guterres said.
“As we mark the 80th anniversary of our Organization and the Charter that gave it life and shape, we need to renew our commitment to the multilateral spirit of peace through diplomacy,” he said.
“I look forward to working with you to achieve the international peace and security the people of the world need and deserve.”
Security Council open debate
A signature event of the Pakistani presidency, Tuesday’s open debate was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
The session aimed to assess the effectiveness of existing mechanisms for pacific dispute settlement, examine best practices and explore new strategies for tackling protracted conflicts.
It also sought to enhance cooperation with regional organizations, boost capacity-building and resource mobilisation, and align future efforts with the conflict-prevention vision outlined in the Pact for the Future.
These strikes occurred while the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement – established in 2018 to support the ceasefire between the Government of Yemen and the Houthis – was patrolling at locations to the northern parts of the Port.
The Secretary-General also expressed deep concern about the continuing missile and drone strikes conducted by the Houthis against Israel.
Risk of further escalation
Concerned about the risk of further escalation, the UN recalled that international law, together with international humanitarian law, must be respected by all parties at all times, including the obligations to respect and protect civilian infrastructure.
“The Secretary-General remains profoundly concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region,” said Mr. Dujarric.
As the UN Chief reiterated his call for “all involved to cease all military actions and exercise maximum restraint,” he also renewed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN and other personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthi authorities.
Sudan: Crisis worsens as cholera and floods drive needs higher
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to deepen as cholera spreads, flooding displaces communities, and thousands of people return to areas with little to no support, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In the locality of Tawiola, in North Darfur State, over 1,300 confirmed cases of cholera in just one week were reported on Sunday by an association of Sudanese doctors.
While local and international partners have set up cholera treatment centres, the current capacity is far from sufficient to cope with the rising caseload.
As Tawila hosts several hundred thousand displaced people, partners on the ground have been struggling to keep pace with the growing needs, notably as such needs are set to increase as the upcoming rainy season sets in.
Vulnerable returnees
Across Sudan, people returning to their communities face serious challenges, including the lack of essential services and the threat posed by explosive remnants of war.
In White Nile State, some residents have begun returning after being displaced for a year. Yet, an assessment by OCHA and its partners last week found that health, water, sanitation and hygiene support is urgently needed, even more so ahead of the rainy season.
Similarly, in eastern Sudan, OCHA warns that many families returning to Kassala State are struggling to cope with the impact of heavy rains and flooding, as heavy rains destroyed more than 280 homes in the village of Tirik earlier in July.
Additionally, as insecurity continues to impede the work of humanitarians, challenges faced by returnee families often lead them to return to displacement sites, undermining the sustainability of return efforts.
In this context, OCHA called for increased international support to meet soaring needs across Sudan.
Ukraine: At least 20 civilians reportedly killed in recent attacks
In Ukraine, attacks over the weekend and into Monday reportedly killed over 20 civilians and injured more than 100 others, including several children, according to authorities.
The strikes affected the capital Kyiv, as well as western and front-line regions, damaging homes, schools, and a health facility.
In Kyiv, a kindergarten, metro stations, shops and residential buildings were hit.
The Ivano-Frakivsk region in western Ukraine which hosts many displaced people and had previously been less affected by hostilities, suffered the largest attack since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
Frontline regions
Meanwhile, in areas near the frontlines in the Donetsk, Dnipro and Kherson regions, hostilities caused civilian casualties and further damage to schools, a health facility, and apartment buildings. Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy and other regions also reported that homes and shops were destroyed.
With support from UN agencies, and coordinating with local authorities and first respondents, humanitarian organizations on the ground continue to provide shelter materials, non-food items, legal aid, psychosocial support and assistance for children across the country.
Since February 2022, both legal and illegal economies in Ukraine have been severely disrupted by the war.
The report examines the evolution of organised crime structures in the country and focuses on six distinct areas: drug trafficking and production, online scams and fraud, arms trafficking, economic crime, trafficking in persons, and the facilitation of illegal exit and draft evasion.
“The war has not only inflicted untold suffering on the Ukrainian people, but has also triggered a marked evolution in organised crime – which can have profound implications for the country’s journey towards recovery and reconstruction,” said Angela Me, Chief of Research and Analysis at UNODC.
Drug trafficking
While the trafficking of cocaine and heroin through Ukraine has decreased drastically since 2022, the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs such as cathinones and methadone have increased.
The expansion of cathinone trafficking in recent years has been facilitated by the darknet, notably through market platforms such as Hydra, which was dismantled in April 2022.
Regarding methadone, the report noted that most of the Ukrainian production is trafficked within the country and not abroad, as domestic demand for the drug is on the rise.
Arms trafficking
The war has also increased the availability of weapons in the country, notably due to a massive influx of arms from the battlefield.
This surplus is resulting in a rise in arms seizures and violence among civilians, marked notably by an increase in domestic and intimate partner violence.
Although there is no evidence to suggest large-scale arms trafficking outside Ukraine, UNODC highlighted the importance of monitoring the situation in light of the sheer number of weapons available and the historic regional presence of criminal actors specialising in arms trafficking.
While there is, as of now, no evidence of drones being used in a non-military context, civilian drones and 3D-printed components for frontline attacks could fuel new illicit markets, the report found.
Trafficking in persons
As roughly 14 million people have been displaced by the war, some criminal groups have exploited these populations by luring them into shelters or accommodations disguised as humanitarian assistance providers, where they are subjected to forced labour.
While intensified patrolling of the borders, paired with the near-complete closure of the eastern and north-eastern borders, has limited the smuggling of migrants through Ukraine, traffickers have instead turned to facilitating draft evasion by Ukrainian men.
“Curtailing organised crime is a key requirement for achieving sustainable peace, justice, national security and the protection of human rights,” said Matthias Schmale, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, as the global body stands ready to support the country in this critical work.
Amidst escalating hostilities and continued strikes on critical infrastructure, Ukraine is once again bracing for another harsh winter.
As the cold season brings heightened risks, especially for people near the frontline, displaced persons living in collective sites, and other vulnerable populations, the Winter Response Plan aims to deliver essential multisectoral humanitarian assistance to over 1.7 million people from October through March.
Serving as a tool for advocacy, resource mobilisation and coordination with Government authorities, the plan caters to the most vulnerable groups, including older people, persons with disabilities, and children.
Life-saving assistance
“As temperatures drop, millions across Ukraine will struggle to keep warm -especially in communities near the front line and among vulnerable displaced people,” said Mathias Schmale, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine.
Humanitarian organizations will help insulate and repair damaged homes, provide heaters, fuel, blankets, and warm clothing, prepare shelters for extreme cold, deliver cash for heating and utilities, and coordinate services in high-risk areas.
Additional strain
“Every winter puts additional strain on people already worn down by years of war,” Mr. Schmale said.
Areas most affected by cold in the winter are predominantly concentrated in northern and eastern Ukraine along the frontline.
People in these areas are exposed to harsh winter conditions, compounded by heightened vulnerability, and severely damaged infrastructure resulting from ongoing conflict and persistent airstrikes.
Displaced people residing in collective sites are also among the most vulnerable during winter, as recent monitoring of such sites indicates that nearly 60 per cent of these sites continue to face winter-related gaps.
According to the UN human rights office, OHCHR, at least 139 civilians have been killed and 791 injured so far in July alone.
“The devastating physical and psychological impact on civilians of repeated attacks in this and other conflicts cannot be captured by numbers alone,” said OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell on Tuesday.
Escalating attacks
On the night of 12 July, Russian forces reportedly launched nearly 600 Shahed-type unmanned attack and decoy drones, along with 26 missiles, killing two civilians and injuring 41.
Damage was reported across multiple regions, including Chernivtsi, Lviv, Cherkasy, Volyn and Kirovohrad – all far from active combat zones. Earlier that same week, Russian forces reportedly launched a record-breaking 728 long-range drones in a single 24-hour period.
June marked the deadliest month for civilians in over three years.
“People are having to spend hours sheltering (…) in basements, corridors and available refuges such as metro stations,” said Ms. Throssell. “In some cases, they’re unable to get to shelter at all.”
Health under pressure
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) meanwhile has verified 2,504 attacks on health facilities and personnel in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022.
These strikes have hit hospitals, ambulances and first responders, including in so-called “double tap” attacks where secondary strikes follow the initial impact.
“This means more than two attacks every day…Healthcare is not a safe place for patients and healthcare workers,” said Dr. Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine.
Access to healthcare remains especially limited in frontline areas, where personnel and supplies are scarce.
Only 69 per cent of residents in those areas have seen a primary care doctor, compared to 74 per cent nationally. WHO mobile teams operating in 82 locations have conducted more than 7,500 consultations in 2025 so far.
The psychological toll is also wearing people down. A recent assessment found that seven out of 10 people reported anxiety, depression or severe stress over the last 12 months, while one in two said they had experienced significant stress in just the past two months.
To address this, WHO and national partners have trained more than 125,000 health workers and expanded mental health services through more than 220 community resilience centres.
Despite continued deliveries of trauma kits and medical supplies by UN and humanitarian partners, the response remains critically underfunded. As of mid-July, only 35.5 per cent of the required $129 million for 2025 has been secured, leaving more than two million people without adequate medical support.
Call for accountability
In Geneva, Ms. Throssell highlighted the UN human rights chief’s calls for an immediate end to hostilities and for efforts toward a just and lasting peace.
“The Russian Federation’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine must urgently be halted and work on a lasting peace in line with international law must intensify,” Volker Türk said in a statement.
The High Commissioner emphasized that any sustainable solution must include accountability for serious human rights violations, the return of deported children, protection for civilians in occupied areas, humane treatment of prisoners of war, and restoration of humanitarian corridors.
Russian forces launched an attack overnight focused on Kyiv, deploying 397 Shahed unmanned attack and decoy drones, along with 18 high-powered missiles, killing two and injuring at least 16, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted during his daily briefing in New York that four Kyiv districts were hit, damaging residential buildings, a clinic and a TV station, while an outpatient clinic was destroyed during the bombardment.
Mr. Dujarric also relayed reports from local authorities of recent attacks in other regions which left more than nine dead and at least ten civilians injured.
Grim June record
These attacks come after June saw the highest monthly civilian casualty count in Ukraine since the Russian invastion began in February 2022, with 232 people killed and 1,343 injured.
This data reflects a worsening trend: 6,754 civilians were killed or injured in the first half of 2025 – a sharp 54 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2024, when 4,381 civilian casualties were documented.
This breaks down to a 17 per cent increase in civilian deaths and a 64 per cent increase in injuries.
Russia’s increased use of long-range missiles and drones in urban areas – and their enhanced destructive power – were key drivers behind the spike in casualties.
The growing number of attacks also played a crucial role, as Russia launched ten times more missile and unmanned drone strikes in June 2025 than in June 2024.
“Civilians across Ukraine are facing levels of suffering we have not seen in over three years,” said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. “The surge in long-range missile and drone strikes across the country has brought even more death and destruction to civilians far from the frontline.”
Child suffering intensifies
Also on Thursday, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that an estimated 70 per cent of children in Ukraine (3.5 million) are experiencing “material deprivation” – up from 18 per cent in 2021.
Material deprivation refers to a lack of essential goods and services, including nutritious food, appropriate clothing, heating at home and access to education.
According to UNICEF’s report, one in three children in Ukraine lives in a home without a functioning water supply or sewage system, and nearly half lack access to a space to play.
This deprivation is driven by continued attacks on infrastructure – including water, sanitation, and energy systems – as well as on homes, schools, and healthcare facilities, along with rising poverty across the country.
Looking towards recovery
These warnings come as the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference opened in Rome on Thursday. It aims to build global awareness and maintain momentum for international support and investment in Ukraine’s recovery, rebuilding, reform, and modernisation.
The Director General of the UN migration agency (IOM), Amy Pope, is among those attending. The agency plays a major role in Ukraine, where nearly four million people remain internally displaced, and another five million refugees reside across Europe.
“Displacement on this scale imposes numerous challenges for Ukraine and its people,” she said.
“Recovery must begin with a focus on the people in need – connecting them to services and restoring their livelihoods, so it becomes more than just returning home, but about regaining their place in society.”
In the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, housing remains one of the country’s most urgent humanitarian and recovery challenges. The destruction has been widespread and ongoing.
According to the latest Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, 13 per cent of Ukraine’s housing stock has been damaged since February 2022, impacting an estimated 2.5 million families.
More than buildings
In coordination with Ukrainian authorities and partners, UNHCR has invested over $114 million in durable housing solutions since July 2022, supporting both durable home repairs and emergency shelter assistance.
“By helping repair houses and apartments, we are enabling people to stay in or return to their homes – places that hold profound meaning, often passed down through generations,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR’s representative in Ukraine.
“These are not just buildings. These are treasured spaces where couples raised their children, families celebrated milestones, cared for older relatives and built their lives together,” she said.
UNHCR’s support includes a range of solutions: contracting local builders, providing construction materials or offering cash assistance to homeowners.
Repairs may include roofs, windows, insulation and in some cases, major reconstruction. The agency also helps restore common areas in apartment buildings.
Emergency shelter and long-term needs
UNHCR also provides emergency shelter kits – tarpaulin, wooden boards, nails and other materials – to help protect homes from further weather damage.
Since 2022, more than 470,000 people have received such kits.
With millions still internally displaced – many from areas under temporary occupation and with little prospect of return – UNHCR supports broader shelter options, including restoring social housing, repairing rural homes and refurbishing collective centres for the most vulnerable.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, António Guterres expressed alarm over the dangerous escalation and the rising toll on civilians.
He reiterated that attacks against civilians and critical infrastructure are prohibited under international law and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
“These strikes disrupted the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, once again underlining the ongoing risks to nuclear safety,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.
“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine as a first step towards a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions.”
Fragile situation
The airstrikes on Friday severed the nuclear plant’s last external power connection, forcing the ZNPP to rely on emergency diesel generators for more than three hours, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Power was eventually restored, but the incident marked the ninth time the plant has lost all off-site electricity since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the nuclear watchdog, warned that the situation remains extremely fragile.
“What was once virtually unimaginable – that a major nuclear power plant would repeatedly lose all of its external power connections – has unfortunately become a common occurrence,” he said.
Nuclear safety deterioration
Located in southern Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia plant is the largest nuclear power facility in Europe. Although its six reactors have been in cold shutdown since 2024, they still require electricity to cool reactor cores and spent fuel pools to prevent overheating and potential radioactive release.
During the blackout, 18 diesel generators were activated to maintain critical cooling functions. The plant has enough diesel on site for at least ten days, with contingency plans in place to secure further supplies if needed, IAEA reported.
The ZNPP has become dramatically more vulnerable since the war began. Prior to the conflict, it had access to ten external power lines; it now relies on just one.
IAEA teams remain based at the site and continue to monitor the situation closely.
Civilian casualties have surged, with April to June seeing nearly 50 per cent more deaths and injuries compared to the same period in 2024.
“More than 90 per cent of these casualties occurred in territory controlled by Ukraine,” she said, attributing the spike in part to intensified Russian drone and missile attacks.
Attacks using airburst warheads and repeated strikes on hospitals have instilled “terror and anxiety” among urban populations, she added. A June 16-17 nighttime attack in Kyiv killed more civilians than any other assault in the past year.
While ceasefire negotiations have produced some humanitarian gains – such as the exchange of prisoners of war and the return of deceased soldiers – Ms. Kehris underscored harrowing conditions in detention.
Over 117 former Ukrainian POWs interviewed by the UN rights office, OHCHR, reported torture, including sexual violence, in Russian captivity. Though less widespread, similar abuses have also been documented in unofficial Ukrainian detention facilities, prompting calls for transparent investigations.
The report also noted ongoing human rights violations in territories occupied by Russia, including restrictions on civic space and the exercise of freedom of expression.
“Peace is more imperative than ever,” Ms. Kehris said, reiterating calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in line with international law.
Drawing from experiences of Black feminists and expanded by studies focusing on Dalit, Indigenous, Muslim and Roma community members, the concept of intersectionality was presented as essential to dismantling systemic discrimination.
“Women of African descent, caste-oppressed communities, Roma, Arab and Muslim women, and other marginalized groups are disproportionately impacted due to overlapping forms of discrimination,” Ms. Ashwini said.
Her report detailed how states can integrate an intersectional approach, emphasising data disaggregation, participatory policymaking, legal recognition of multiple discrimination and historical accountability.
Ms. Ashwini highlighted the importance of reparatory justice for communities affected by colonialism and slavery and called on states – particularly those historically complicit – to implement bold reforms.
People search through the rubble of a destroyed building in the central Gaza Strip.
She described conditions as “apocalyptic” and reported over 200,000 people killed or injured since 7 October 2023, when Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups attacked Israeli communities – killing at least 1,200 people and taking more than 250 as hostages.
“In Gaza, Palestinians continue to endure suffering beyond imagination,” Ms. Albanese said, describing the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as a “death trap – engineered to kill or force the flight of a starved, bombarded, emaciated population marked for elimination.”
She also accused Israel of using the conflict as an opportunity to test new weapons and technology against the population of the enclave “without restraint”.
“The forever-occupation has provided an optimal testing ground for arms manufacturers and big tech with little oversight and zero accountability – while investors, and private and public institutions have profited handsomely,” she said.
“We must reverse the tide,” Ms. Albanese urged, calling on Member States to impose a full arms embargo on Israel, suspend all trade agreements and investment relation and enforce accountability, “ensuring that corporate entities face legal consequences for their involvement in serious violations of international law.”
Independent rights experts
Special Rapporteurs are independent human rights experts appointed and mandated by the Human Rights Council – the UN’s highest intergovernmental forum on human rights.
Forming a part of its Special Procedures, Special Rapporteurs and other independent experts are mandated to monitor and assess the rights situation in certain thematic or country situations.
They work in their individual capacity, are not UN staff and do not receive a salary.
It covers the period from 1 December 2024 to 31 May 2025, during which 986 civilians were killed and 4,807 injured – a 37 per cent increase compared to the same period the previous year.
“The war in Ukraine – now in its fourth year – is becoming increasingly deadly for civilians,” said Danielle Bell, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
“We continue to document patterns of violence that are inconsistent with obligations under international humanitarian law.”
Concern over use of short-range drones
Most casualties occurred in areas under Ukrainian Government control, primarily due to Russian attacks using long-range explosive weapons in populated areas and short-range drones near frontline locations.
Nearly half of all casualties were caused by missiles, loitering munitions and air-dropped bombs in densely populated areas. At least three attacks involved the use of missiles with fragmentation warheads which detonated above ground and scattered fragments across large open areas, killing and injuring many civilians at once.
The use of short-range drones is driving the rise in civilian casualties, the report said. OHCHR verified that 207 civilians were killed and 1,365 injured in these attacks.
Among the deadliest incidents was a Russian drone strike on a civilian bus transporting employees of a mining company to work in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Eight women and two men were killed, and 57 people were injured.
“The high number of civilian casualties from the use of short-range drones, which allow operators to see their targets in real time, raises grave concerns,” Ms. Bell said.
“Our findings strongly suggest a failure to distinguish between civilian and military targets, and to take all feasible precautions to verify the military nature of those targets – or worse, an intentional decision not to.”
During the same period, Russian forces struck at least five hospitals directly. Some of the attacks used multiple loitering munitions, suggesting potential deliberate targeting of the hospitals in violation of international humanitarian law.
Prisoners of war
Serious violations against prisoners of war (POWs) also remain a major concern, according to the report. OHCHR documented credible allegations that at least 35 Ukrainian POWs and one Russian POW were executed during the reporting period.
Staff interviewed 117 recently released Ukrainian POWs and two detained medical personnel, nearly all of whom described being tortured and ill-treated in captivity. This included severe beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, dog attacks, and deliberate humiliation, often carried out by personnel wearing balaclavas to conceal their identities.
Ms. Bell said the continued brutalization of Ukrainian prisoners of war is not only inhumane, but a serious violation of international law.
“These are not isolated incidents – they point to well-documented patterns of widespread and systematic torture that demand urgent and unambiguous accountability, and measures toward prevention,” she said.
Meanwhile, more than half of the Russian POWs and third-country nationals held by Ukraine also reported abuse – including torture, ill-treatment, threats, and internment in unofficial facilities – which mostly occurred in transit places before arrival at official places of internment.
Rights concerns in Russian-occupied areas
The report highlights ongoing human rights concerns with Ukrainian civilians unlawfully detained by Russian authorities, predominantly in occupied territory. People who have been released described torture, ill-treatment, and dire conditions of detention.
Ukrainians in occupied territory faced increased coercion to adopt Russian citizenship. OHCHR documented over 16,000 homes listed by Russian occupation authorities as potentially “abandoned” and therefore at risk of being confiscated.
Displaced residents faced severe legal and logistical obstacles, as well as security risks, to reclaim their property.
Ukrainian children recruited
Another issue covered in the report is the recruitment and use of Ukrainian children “for sabotage activities of increasing gravity against Ukrainian military objectives.”
The children reportedly were recruited by unidentified actors, likely affiliated with Russia, according to Ukrainian law enforcement authorities. Some of these youngsters were killed or injured, while others are facing prosecution after being enticed via social media to commit arson or plant explosives.
“Using children to commit acts of sabotage or violence exploits their vulnerability and endangers their lives,” Ms. Bell said. “It compounds their suffering by exposing them to violence, coercion, and harsh legal consequences.”
OHCHR also voiced concern over the situation of older people, mainly women, as well as persons with disabilities, who remain at disproportionate risk, particularly in frontline areas.
Many are unable to evacuate due to poverty and limited housing options, while those who can often face long stays in shelters that lack appropriate facilities, or they are placed in institutional settings due to the absence of suitable alternatives.
Donetsk, Kherson and Sumy regions sustained the most damage, with several civilians reportedly killed, and many displaced, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at a regular news briefing on Thursday.
“Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that food insecurity remains a concern in front-line and border regions,” he added.
According to a recent assessment by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the conflict has devastated livelihoods and quadrupled poverty levels, leaving the most vulnerable – particularly displaced people – at greatest risk.
Food insecurity on the front-line
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain described the challenges.
“This frontline stretches 700 miles and countless towns and villages are still without the basics for survival,” she said.
This has made the work of humanitarians even more vital, with over 400,000 people in Donetsk and Kherson receiving food and agricultural support in addition to cash-based assistance.
In total, over 130 humanitarian organizations have distributed food and livelihood assistance to over 1.8 million people across the country.
Aid challenges
But with hostilities becoming increasingly deadly, humanitarian access remains limited. Since the start of the year, there has been a 50 per cent increase in civilian deaths when compared to the same period last year.
Authorities continue to urge the 10,000 people who remain in the front-line region to evacuate for their own safety.
“For those who stayed or those who came back, there are no jobs, no income and no opportunity,” Ms. McCain said.
At least 24 people were reported killed and over 300 injured – including 32 children – when ballistic missiles struck Ukraine’s Dnipro and Odesa regions on Monday and Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Wednesday.
The attacks destroyed homes, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure, and left hundreds wounded.
“The attacks struck during the day when civilians were at work, on trains, or at school,” said Danielle Bell, head of HRMMU.
“The timing alone made the high number of civilian casualties entirely foreseeable.”
On 23 June, two ballistic missiles launched by Russian forces hit Lyceum No. 1, a middle school in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa region. Although the school year had ended, staff and students were present for administrative work. The strike killed three educators and injured 14 others, including two boys.
The school, which served over 700 students, sustained critical damage.
No military objective
HRMMU, which visited the attacks sites, reported no evidence of military presence at the school, and people confirmed that no military presence had been stationed there.
“The school in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi was not a military objective,” Ms. Bell said.
“Yet it was hit by two ballistic missiles, killing educators and injuring children.”
The following day, 24 June, missiles struck an industrial area of Dnipro city at around 11 AM local time. The blast shattered windows in nearby schools, hospitals and residential buildings.
HRMMU confirmed that two dormitories were hit, injuring numerous residents. A nearby passenger train was also impacted – windows blown out by the shockwave – injuring more than 20 travellers, according to a UN monitor onboard.
A troubling trend
These strikes followed a series of other attacks in June that have resulted in significant civilian harm, including in Kyiv city on 17 and 23 June, according to the human rights mission.
Civilian casualties in the first five months of 2025 were nearly 50 percent higher than during the same period last year, with increases typically seen during the summer months.
“Ballistic missiles, when used in densely populated areas, cause predictable and widespread harm to civilians, as demonstrated by these recent attacks,” Ms. Bell said.
“The rising civilian casualties reflect the severity of that risk.”
“As we are facing renewed escalation on the ground and crisis elsewhere, it is critical to maintain focused attention on the urgent need for peace in Ukraine,” said UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča – one of two senior officials briefing the ambassadors.
In the three weeks since the Council last met on Ukraine, Russia has carried out unrelenting large-scale attacks on cities and towns, resulting in a significant rise in civilian casualties.
Deadly Kyiv attack
A combined drone and missile attack on the capital Kyiv overnight on 16-17 June was one of the deadliest there in a year. At least 28 civilians were killed and more than 130 injured. Many others are still reported missing under the rubble of the 35 apartments destroyed that night.
Attacks also reportedly occurred in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv and Kyiv provinces that same night, with two civilians reportedly killed and scores injured in Odesa.
“These levels of death and destruction risk dimming hope for an immediate ceasefire and threaten to undermine prospects for a lasting peace,” he said.
‘Dramatic increase’ in casualties
Data from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, reveals that at least 13,438 civilians, including 713 children, have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Another 33,270 civilians have been injured, including over 2,000 children.
The number of civilian casualties in the first five months of this year alone totaled 5,144 – nearly 50 per cent higher than in the same period in 2024. Of this number, 859 were killed and 4,285 injured.
“This dramatic increase is a result of intensified use of long-range weapons, both missiles and loitering munitions, against cities across Ukraine,” said Mr. Jenča.
Ukrainian authorities report that between 1 and 17 June, Russian forces launched at least 3,340 long-range drones, including loitering munitions and decoy drones, and 135 missiles into the country. This compares to 544 long-range munitions launched during the whole of June 2024.
Attacks reported in Russia
Escalating violence also continues to be reported in Russian regions that border Ukraine, though at a far lower level.
In the Kursk region, a woman died in hospital a day after being injured in a Ukrainian drone attack while a man was killed, and five others injured, in a strike on a recreational centre. The UN was not able to verify these reports.
“Let me once again unequivocally state – attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law, wherever they occur,” said Mr. Jenča, reiterating the UN’s condemnation.
Diplomatic developments welcomed
Meanwhile, “important diplomatic developments have taken place on the challenging path towards a lasting peace in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian and Russian delegations held their second face-to-face meeting in Istanbul on 2 June. They reportedly exchanged written memoranda outlining their respective visions for a ceasefire and parameters for a future peace settlement.
The sides also reached agreement for the large-scale exchange of prisoners of war, mortal remains and civilian detainees. Swaps have been carried out since then, with the latest round taking place earlier on Friday. The mortal remains of 6,057 Ukrainian and 78 Russian servicepersons also have been returned as of 16 June.
“We welcome the continuation of all meaningful diplomatic efforts, including the recent talks in Istanbul. We urge the sides to make tangible progress towards a ceasefire and a lasting settlement through continued talks,” said Mr. Jenča.
In the face of escalation, he called for redoubling efforts “to ensure that the fragile diplomatic process is not only sustained but becomes irreversible.”
Civilians bear the brunt
In the meantime, civilians continue to bear the severe consequences of the war, said Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“As the war continues, millions of lives are impacted every day. Essential services are disrupted, and vulnerabilities are deepening for nearly 13 million people in need of assistance,” she said.
Roughly 3.7 million people are displaced inside Ukraine, including 60,000 newly displaced from frontline regions since January alone. Almost six million citizens are now refugees, mainly in Europe.
Amid the intensifying hostilities, the Government continues to order the mandatory evacuation of families with children from front-line villages, she said. However, for some people in these locations “attacks are so frequent that evacuations themselves become a risky prospect.”
Humanitarians at risk
Ms. Wosornu noted that humanitarians also face growing threats. This year, two aid workers have been killed and 24 injured while delivering assistance, and some 68 incidents of violence impacting relief personnel, assets and facilities have been recorded.
She said that “despite an operating environment beset by multiple risks and challenges,” humanitarians remain committed and engaged, and their operations continue. Between January and May, they reached some 3.4 million people with life-saving aid, including food, water, medicines, health services and livelihood support.
Humanitarians are seeking $2.6 billion for Ukraine this year, and $816 million, has been secured, she said, stressing the importance importance of “timely financial support”.
End the war
Ms. Wosornu concluded her remarks by renewing earlier calls for the Council to take urgent, collective action in three areas, including protecting civilians and ensuring safe humanitarian access to all in need.
Ambassadors were also urged to ensure sustained financial support as “declining funding trends” threaten aid efforts.
Her final request was an appeal to “end this war, and until then, ensure that humanitarian concerns are a central part of discussions on a pause in fighting or longer-term agreement.”
Growth is projected to weaken to 2.3 per cent, or nearly half a percentage point lower than expected at the start of the year, according to the Global Economic Prospects report.
“The global outlook is predicated on tariff rates close to those of late May prevailing,” it said.
“Accordingly, pauses to previously announced tariff hikes between the United States and its trading partners are assumed to persist.”
Although a global recession is not expected, average global growth is on track to be the slowest of any decade since the 1960s.
Poor countries suffer
Growth forecasts are being slashed in nearly 70 per cent of all economies, with the poorest countries most affected.
In most developing countries, nearly 60 per cent, growth should average 3.8 per cent in 2025 before reaching an average 3.9 per cent in the following two years – more than a percentage lower than the average in the 2010s.
The slowdown will impact efforts by developing countries in areas such as job creation, poverty reduction and closing income gaps with richer economies.
“The world economy today is once more running into turbulence. Without a swift course correction, the harm to living standards could be deep,” said Indermit Gill, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist.
The report calls for rebuilding trade relations as “economic cooperation is better than any of the alternatives – for all parties,” he said.
Countries are also urged to improve business climates and to promote employment by ensuring workers are equipped with necessary skills.
At least three dead in new Russian drone assault on Ukrainian cities
A massive new wave of Russian drone attacks has killed at least three civilians and left Kyiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia engulfed in clouds of thick smoke, aid teams said on Tuesday.
The attack was reportedly one of the largest since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than three years ago.
In an online update, the UN aid coordinating office, OCHA, said that a maternity ward in Odesa had come under fire, causing injuries and widespread damage to homes.
Another terrible night
The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, underscored the impact of the violence on civilians, citing 16-year-old Sonya from Kyiv in an online post. “It was a terrible night,” she said. “The sounds were so frightening – a buzzing sound that was getting closer and explosions every five minutes.”
Russia has intensified its airstrikes on Ukraine in recent days.
According to Moscow, it stepped up its bombing campaign in retaliation for Ukraine’s suprise drone attacks deep inside Russian territory last week codenamed operation spiderweb.
Amid the ongoing conflict, UN humanitarian teams and partners continue to work to help civilians in cities across Ukraine.
They provide first aid, protection services, food, construction materials and other support including counselling and legal advice.
Haiti: Hurricane season is here, but there are no food supplies
The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that for the first time ever, it has no prepositioned food supplies in Haiti for the hurricane season, which lasts from June to November.
WFP also said staffers do not have the financial resources to respond quickly to an emergency weather event in the country.
Other UN agencies have prepositioned water and sanitation kits for 100,000 and health supplies for 20,000 people. However, these are not sufficient, especially in the absence of food, to meet needs during an emergency.
“The current lack of contingency stocks and operational funds leaves Haiti’s most at-risk communities dangerously unprotected at a time of heightened vulnerability,” Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a briefing Tuesday.
Famine-like conditions
Food insecurity and malnutrition are already rampant, with over half the population facing acute hunger. Haiti is one of five countries worldwide which is experiencing famine-like conditions.
Continuing armed violence by gangs in the capital and in other regions has displaced over one million people, compounding the hunger crisis and limiting access to other basic services such as clean water and health care.
UN agencies in the country estimate that they will need $908 million to continue providing life-saving resources in Haiti, but currently, they have only received $78 million in emergency support.
Refugees find hope through legal migration
Nearly one million refugees from eight countries with high asylum recognition rates were granted entry permits to 38 destination countries between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Safe Pathways for Refugees.
These permits were issued through existing systems for work, study, or family reunification.
“Refugees are using the same legal channels that millions rely on every day,” said Ruven Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.
“We don’t need new systems – just safer access to the ones already in place.”
In 2023 alone, nearly 255,000 permits were issued, marking a 14 per cent increase from 2022 and the highest number recorded since tracking began in 2010.
Countries such as Germany, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden have played a leading role.
UNHCR is urging States to remove obstacles for refugees and integrate them into regular migration systems. It also calls for stronger partnerships to expand access to legal pathways amid growing displacement and strained asylum systems.
The General Assembly on Wednesday elected a new slate of members to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the principal body responsible for coordinating the Organization’s work on sustainable development and economic issues.
A man was arrested in Boulder after reportedly using a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set people on fire at an event in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza on Sunday.
The suspect reportedly yelled “Free Palestine” during the attack and now faces federal hate crime charges along with multiple felonies.
The attack injured at least eight people, ranging in age from 52 to 88. The injuries have been described by local police as ranging from minor to “very serious”.
Holocaust memorial targeted
In a further antisemitic act in Paris, vandals targeted the Shoah Memorial, three synagogues and the Jewish restaurant Chez Marianne on Saturday morning, according to news reports.
Photos show green paint splashed on the Le Mur Des Justes wall, which lists names of French men and women who helped Jews during the World War II.
No suspects have been arrested so far and no group has claimed responsibility, news reports noted.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told correspondents at the Noon Briefing in New York that “The Secretary-General condemns these acts.”
“The United Nations firmly stands against all forms of antisemitism, as well as all other manifestations of extremism and any incitement to religious hatred and violence, and he calls for swift action to hold those responsible accountable,” Mr. Dujarric said.
UN labour agency sheds light on potential risks of online work
Governments, employers, and workers from the 187 UN ILO Member States are currently meeting in Geneva for the International Labour Organization’s annual conference.
The potential pitfalls of online platforms will be one key area for debate, as countries mull reforms to protect workers and promote development.
Digital platforms have grown rapidly in recent decades in line with the gig economy, boosting online education, tourism and transport, for example.
Lack of protections
But although businesses that use digital platforms offer flexibility for workers, there’s concern that they don’t offer enough social protection or decent conditions.
According to senior ILO official Angelika Muller many online workers lack protections as part of the informal economy.
As such, many face poor working conditions while many employers turn to algorithms to evaluate worker performance.
Member States are also expected to agree on new ways to help countries transition from the informal to the formal economy and address the issue of health dangers from exposure to biological hazards at work.
Attacks on Sudanese civilians continue
On May 29, the World Food Programme’s facility in Al Fasher was repeatedly shelled, resulting in extensive damage, according to a report on Monday from UN aid coordination office, OCHA.
The next day, Eldaman International Hospital in Al Obeid was struck by a drone attack, killing at least six health workers and injuring more than 15 others.
Both attacks were reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia which has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for control of the country since April 2023.
Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Kristine Hambrouck, released a statement on Sunday calling the attacks a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law,” calling on all sides to protect civilian lives.
UN relief chief Tom Fletcher, also expressed concern over these attacks in a social media post Monday: “These attacks must stop.”
Continued cholera threats
Meanwhile, in Khartoum state, strikes on electricity infrastructure have aggravated water shortages, forcing many residents to rely on unsafe water sources and endangering over one million children with waterborne diseases, as cholera continues to spread across Sudan.
Thanks to the efforts of health workers and community volunteers, daily cholera cases in the capital region have fallen compared to previous weeks.
There have been more than 16,500 cases and over 340 reported deaths in Khartoum since the outbreak began.
Dozens of cases are also emerging in the South Darfur state, prompting officials to declare a health emergency and appeal for urgent support to contain the outbreak.
With UN support, local health authorities have established treatment centers and initiated surveillance and community health efforts.
is urging the international community to act now to ensure that aid reaches those most in need, to halt the spread of cholera, and to protect the millions of civilians at risk.
Recent attacks on Ukrainian civilians
The UN on Monday reported that attacks in Ukraine over the weekend and Monday left more than 20 civilians dead, including one child, and injured over 100 others.
Civilian infrastructure – including homes, medical and educational facilities and power and gas lines – was also affected.
Notably, the attacks occurred just hours before Ukrainian and Russian delegations met for a second round of preliminary peace talks in Türkiye on Monday.
Humanitarian response
Humanitarian organizations are providing critical support to affected families, including emergency repair materials, legal and psychological assistance, and evacuations from areas where heavy fighting is continuing.
On 30 May, an inter-agency convoy delivered essential aid – including solar lamps, charging stations, kitchen sets, diapers, food, hygiene items and first aid kits – to over 700 residents in the frontline Mylivska community of Kherson.
She recalled the adoption of Security Council resolution 2774 in February – the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – which sparked a sense of optimism for a diplomatic solution.
That has since been replaced by a sense of international frustration – and more suffering in Ukraine following the surge in attacks.
“The hope that the parties will be able to sit down and negotiate is still alive, but just barely,” Ms. DiCarlo warned.
Rising civilian toll
Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo briefing the Security Council.
The weekend’s escalation has been described as the largest wave of attacks, with record numbers of long-range missiles and drones killing and injuring dozens of civilians and damaging homes and infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and other cities.
Russian regions bordering Ukraine also reported civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nine civilians were killed and 117 injured by Ukrainian strikes between 19 and 25 May, with a further 17 civilians killed and over 100 injured the week before.
“The United Nations is not able to verify these reports. However, if confirmed, these figures serve as a vivid reminder of the rising civilian toll of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most egregiously in Ukraine, but also increasingly in the Russian Federation itself,” Ms. DiCarlo said.
International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, she stressed.
“They are unacceptable and indefensible – wherever they occur – and must stop immediately.”
‘Every delay costs lives’
OCHA Director Doughten briefing the Security Council.
Lisa Doughten, Director for Financing at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), painted a dire picture on the ground.
Over 5,000 people – mostly from Kherson, Donetsk and Sumy regions – were newly displaced in the past week alone, adding to the 3.7 million already displaced across Ukraine. An estimated 1.5 million civilians in Russian-occupied areas remain largely cut off from humanitarian assistance.
Despite escalating challenges, humanitarian organizations – many of them local NGOs – continue to deliver food, water, hygiene kits and protection services.
However, only a quarter of the $2.6 billion needed for the 2025 humanitarian response plan has been funded, leaving aid workers struggling to meet rising needs.
“Every delay costs lives. Every dollar helps us reach the next family under fire with aid, educate the next child out of school, help evacuate people with disabilities, and sustain water in front-line communities,” Ms. Doughten said.
“The needs do not shrink. And so, our resolve cannot falter.”
A wideview of the Security Council meeting as members discuss the situation in Ukraine
The war is a strategic mistake: US
Sanctions for Russia are “still on the table” if they make the “wrong decision” to continue the catastrophic war against Ukraine, the representative of the United States, John Kelley, told ambassadors.
“President [Donald] Trump has emphasised from the beginning that this war was a strategic mistake and should never have happened; time is not on the side of any who would prolong it,” Mr. Kelley said.
The US also condemned Russia’s decision to launch record numbers of long-range missiles and drones against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine this past weekend.
Mr. Kelley noted that if Russia makes the “wrong decision to continue this catastrophic war,” the United States may be forced to end their negotiation efforts.
“To be clear, in doing so, we would not be ‘abandoning’ our principles or our friends. Rather, we would be recognising Russia’s refusal to work with us toward a desirable outcome,” he said.
Mr. Kelley also referenced President Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 21 May, saying that the US is expecting a “term sheet” which will outline a Russian ceasefire proposal.
“We will judge Russia’s seriousness towards ending the war not only by the contents of that term sheet, but more importantly, by Russia’s actions,” Mr. Kelley said.
Ukraine trying to derail peace: Russia
Russia’s Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya accused the Ukrainian Government of attempting to “deceive and mislead” President Donald Trump in order to push the US away from its central role brokering negotiations.
“As long as the spectre of the ‘Russian threat’ persists, [Volodymyr] Zelensky’s clique can avoid accountability for embezzled budget funds and Western – primarily American – aid, which now totals tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars,” Mr. Nebenzya said.
“Even their partners in Europe and the [Joe] Biden administration, who have also profited greatly from the conflict in Ukraine, are starting to grow weary of this.”
Regarding allegations that Russia is targeting civilians in Ukraine, he claimed the casualties are the result of Ukrainian air defense systems being “positioned near residential buildings and public infrastructure in violation of basic international humanitarian law.”
He stated that the true targets of Russian strikes are military-industrial sites, citing the destruction of ammunition depots and other weapons facilities in various Ukrainian regions.
Ukraine open to talks that ‘yield tangible results’
Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, said that the international community must increase pressure on Russia, including through sanctions, to end the “diplomatic stalemate” for which she squarely blamed Russia.
“Ukraine did not initiate this war, nor do we desire its continuation,” Ms. Hayovyshyn said.
She noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky remains willing to meet President Vladimir Putin at any point for direct talks, but that the Russian President has not made himself available – including failing to attend the negotiations in Türkiye where Mr. Zelensky was present.
“We are not afraid of talks,” she said. “We are for constructive talks.”
Ms. Hayovyshyn said that “only positive result” of the meeting in Türikye was the agreement from both Russia and Ukraine to each release 1,000 prisoners of war.
But she reiterated that Ukraine would not compromise on its territorial integrity or sovereignty when negotiating for peace.
“Achieving peace at any cost will not end the war. A comprehensive, just and lasting peace must rest on a fundamental respect towards non-negotiable principles,” she said.
