Briefing of the ambassadors, Kayoko Gotoh, director of the Europe and Central Asia division at Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairssaid 2025 was one of the deadliest years for civilians since Russia’s full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago.
Civilian casualties between January and November were 24 percent higher than during the same period last year, she said, as Russian air attacks intensified nationwide.
Local Russian authorities also reported civilian casualties following the Ukrainian strikes.
Ms. Gotoh stressed that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited by international law “no matter where they occur, they are unacceptable and must stop.”
Civilians attacked
Recent missile and drone strikes have repeatedly hit energy and transportation systems in several regions.
On the night of December 5-6 alone, dozens of civilians were injured and hundreds of thousands more were left without power and basic utilities after large-scale strikes in ten regions.
Since February 2022, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) verified at least 14,775 civilian deaths in Ukraine, including 755 children, and another 39,322 injured. There are fears that the true toll is much higher.
Attacks in the Black Sea region were also reported, including Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil tankers and the port of Temryuk on the Sea of Azov, while Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian port of Odessa.
Systematic attack against civilian life
Beyond the immediate victims, the destruction of electricity and heating systems pushes entire communities towards crisis.
“Systematic attacks on energy infrastructure in the middle of winter threaten to leave millions of people without reliable heat, water and public transport,” Ms Gotoh warned, noting that the elderly and people with disabilities find themselves stuck in high-rise buildings without functioning elevators.
Repair crews are struggling to keep up. Continuous power outages lasting 12 to 18 hours cut off heat and water to entire buildings in several areas.
“People can survive without electricity for a while, but not without heat,” a local doctor told a United Nations team. “Without heat, our elderly patients decline within hours. »
Funds are decreasing
Humanitarian officials have warned that funding is insufficient just as winter needs peak.
Only about two-thirds of the $279 million required for Ukraine’s winter response plan has been received, forcing cuts to essential services such as heating assistance, cash assistance, mental health care and protections for women and girls.
The broader response for 2026 provides $2.3 billion to help 4.1 million people in Ukraine.
The UN continues to act
Despite insecurity and access constraints, humanitarian operations continue. This year, around 44 inter-agency convoys reached some 50,000 civilians in frontline areas with food, medical supplies and winter equipment, Joyce Msuya, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinatortold the ambassadors.
Access remains unstable and risks for humanitarian workers are increasing. Ms Msuya exhorted THE Security Council to “use the tools at your disposal” to protect civilians and ensure respect for humanitarian principles.
“The Ukrainian people do not have the privilege of waiting for better conditions. They are going through a fourth winter since the escalation of this war, under fire and in darkness,” she said.
“What they need from this Council is not just sympathy, but concrete action to reduce the damage and safeguard the humanitarian action that lies between survival and catastrophe. »
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
