Officer-in-charge for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Kayoko Gotoh Remarks to the Security Council on the situation in Ukraine

Madam President,         

As the holiday season approaches, Ukrainian civilians are preparing to end yet another difficult year at war – without a ceasefire and with uncertain prospects for lasting peace.

Despite cautious optimism around resumed diplomatic efforts, 2025 has been one of the deadliest for the people of Ukraine.

Civilian casualties between January and November this year were 24 percent higher compared to the same period in 2024.

These figures continue to increase, as the Russian Federation escalates its aerial attacks across Ukraine.

On the night of 5 to 6 December, dozens of civilians were injured and hundreds of thousands left without power and other basic utilities, following large-scale Russian missile and drone strikes, targeting energy and transport infrastructure in ten regions across Ukraine.

The night before, a 12-year-old boy was killed in a drone attack on a village in Dnipropetrovsk region.

A week earlier, on 29 November, a massive Russian drone and missile attack reportedly killed six people and injured dozens of others in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions.

This attack also left more than 600,000 people in the Kyiv region without power, under freezing winter temperatures.

On 23 November, a drone strike on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, reportedly killed four people.

In total, since the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified that 14,775 Ukrainian civilians, including 755 children, have been killed. 39,322 more, including 2,416 children, have been injured. These numbers only represent the verified casualties. Actual figures are likely significantly higher.

The Russian Federation continues to target Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure. 

Systematic attacks on energy infrastructure in the middle of winter threaten to leave millions without reliable heating, water and public transportation as temperatures drop.

People in high-rise buildings cannot use elevators, which leaves the elderly and persons with disabilities trapped in their homes.

This year alone, more than 340 educational facilities in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed, depriving children of their right to education. 

Local authorities from front-line communities of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Sumy regions reported that access to essential services had collapsed: food shops and pharmacies are closed, medical personnel has left, and electricity cuts have lasted for more than two years in some areas.

These deprivations, in addition to the horrors of daily indiscriminate attacks, are driving further large-scale displacements.

At the same time, local authorities from communities across the border in the Russian Federation also continue to report new civilian casualties from regular attacks launched by the Ukrainian armed forces. Damage to civilian infrastructure is also reported as a result of long-distance Ukrainian strikes on military and energy sites in the Russian Federation.

Due to lack of access and limited public information, the United Nations is not in a position to verify these reports.

As has been stressed at all our briefings, I reiterate that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, are prohibited under international law. No matter where they occur, they are unacceptable and must stop.

My colleague from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will share more information about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the UN response through the winter.

Madam President,      

The United Nations has repeatedly warned against any action that could further escalate or expand this devastating war, now well in its fourth year.

Following repeated alleged violations of airspace of several European countries, we are following with concern the recent reported incidents involving shipping and port infrastructure in the Black Sea.  

On 5 December, Bulgarian authorities launched efforts to evacuate the crew of an oil tanker that caught fire off the Black Sea port of Ahtopol. This was one of the two Russian tankers reportedly hit on 29 November by Ukrainian naval drones in the Turkish economic zone.

Earlier, in a separate incident on 2 December, another Russian-flagged tanker, on its way from Russia to Georgia, allegedly came under a drone attack off the Turkish coast. 

There have also been reported Russian attacks on port infrastructure in the Ukrainian port of Odesa, as well as alleged Ukrainian attacks on the Azov Sea port of Temryuk in Russia’s Krasnodar region.

While no casualties were reported, these incidents represent yet another step in the current dangerous cycle of escalation.

We continue to urge all concerned to de-escalate tensions and to prevent the risk of further expansion of the conflict.  

This certainly also applies to the immense danger the war poses to nuclear sites.

Despite the efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to restore power lines at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the plant continues to experience dangerous power interruptions as a result of ongoing attacks in its vicinity, including most recently during the Russian attacks on 5-6 December.

IAEA has also conducted a comprehensive safety assessment of the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl site, which was severely damaged in a drone strike in February. According to the assessment, the Confinement had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability. No permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems however was found.

Any military actions endangering the safety and security of nuclear plants are unconscionable, irresponsible and must immediately cease.

Madam President,      

We remain deeply concerned about systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the areas of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation, as reported by OHCHR. These violations undermine the principles of international humanitarian law set to safeguard human dignity and the protection of civilians.

We recall the international obligations with regards to treatment of prisoners of war, including related to access to information regarding their places of detention.

We are encouraged by the earlier exchanges of prisoners of war between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and urge their continuation, as well as scaled-up returns of Ukrainian children and civilian detainees without delay.

Madam President,        

Since the beginning of the full-scale war nearly four years ago, the people of Ukraine have not only shown remarkable resilience to endure the horrible consequences of the war, but also determination to build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future for their country.

We have seen this consistently in the action of Ukrainian civil society, in particular organizations led by women and young people.

People of Ukraine want peace that is just and lasting.

Meeting their aspirations and ensuring the long-term stability of the region must remain our collective focus and priority.

That is why we remain hopeful that the ongoing diplomatic efforts, led by the United States, can help bring this war to a negotiated end.

The Secretary-General has repeatedly called for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

Immediate de-escalation in fighting, including a halt to ongoing attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, would not only spare civilian lives, but also bring added momentum to ongoing diplomatic efforts.

We urge all stakeholders to actively engage in and support an inclusive diplomatic process in pursuit of a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace.

Achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine requires that any settlement fully upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and is in line with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions.

The United Nations remains ready to support all meaningful efforts to this end.

Thank you.