Mr. President,
Three years ago today, the world watched in shock as the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a clear violation of the UN Charter and international law.
This act undermined the very foundations of the international order.
For three long years, the people of Ukraine have endured relentless death, destruction and displacement.
Families have been torn apart, lost loved ones, and witnessed their homes and entire cities reduced to rubble.
The Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified that, since 24 February 2022, at least 12,654 Ukrainian civilians, including 673 children, have been killed.
Another 29,392, including 1,865 children, have been injured. The actual figures are likely considerably higher.
The numbers only continue to rise as Russia’s brutal attacks persist across the country. In 2024 alone, civilian casualties increased by 30 per cent compared to the previous year.
The war has created the largest displacement crisis in Europe since the Second World War.
More than 10 million Ukrainians remain uprooted – 3.6 million displaced within Ukraine, and 6.9 million seeking refuge abroad. Many remain in precarious conditions, uncertain whether they will ever return home.
Beyond the immediate physical devastation, the long-term psychological toll on an entire generation of Ukrainians is incalculable.
Ukraine is now among the most heavily mined countries in the world.
This is a deadly legacy that will take years to overcome, including its immense environmental consequences.
The massive destruction of civilian infrastructure impacts millions.
For three consecutive winters, repeated strikes on the energy grid have left communities without power, heating or other essential services.
Over two million families remain without adequate shelter.
At least 790 attacks have damaged or destroyed medical facilities.
This has put the lives of countless patients at risk, with medical professionals struggling to work under extreme circumstances.
In 2024 alone, attacks on medical facilities tripled compared to the previous year.
The education system has also been decimated.
More than 3,600 schools and universities have been damaged, preventing 600,000 children from attending classes in person.
Last year, attacks on educational facilities surged by 96 per cent, compared to 2023.
Mr. President,
Over the past three years, the conflict has also escalated and expanded, not only across Ukraine, but also into parts of the Russian Federation.
We have seen reports by local Russian officials of increased civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions of the Russian Federation due to alleged Ukrainian attacks.
It cannot be said often enough: Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law.
They are unacceptable, no matter where they occur.
The war’s impact is also felt globally, as it destabilizes economies, disrupts food security and threatens international peace.
The further internationalization of the conflict is deeply alarming, particularly with the reported deployment of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea into the conflict zone.
Moreover, the risk of a nuclear incident remains unacceptably high.
A drone attack on 14 February caused a fire in the building confining the remains of the reactor destroyed in the 1986 Chernobyl accident.
This incident once again underlines the persistent risks to nuclear safety in Ukraine.
Mr. President,
The United Nations is committed to assisting Ukraine in its recovery. We continue to work with our humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving assistance.
In the past three years, over 200 inter-agency convoys have reached 810,000 people with assistance along the frontline.
However, without sustained funding, these critical efforts risk being suspended, which would leave 12.7 million people without the assistance they so desperately need.
Further, we still do not have access to the estimated one million people in need of humanitarian aid in areas of Ukraine currently occupied by the Russian Federation.
We recall that international humanitarian law requires the facilitation of rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need, no matter where they live.
International humanitarian law also prohibits attacks on humanitarian personnel and assets.
Since February 2022, 25 aid workers have been killed in the line of duty and 86 others injured.
There have been 236 documented incidents involving violence against humanitarian personnel, assets and facilities.
Humanitarian workers must be protected.
Mr. President,
The full-scale invasion brought a dramatic increase in the number of human rights violations in Ukraine, as reported by the by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
OHCHR also documented the systematic and widespread use of torture, including sexual violence, by Russian authorities against Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).
OHCHR reports that 95 per cent of Ukrainian POWs and three quarters of Ukrainian civilian detainees interviewed have suffered torture or ill-treatment in Russian captivity.
Russian forces have executed at least 71 Ukrainian POWs since February 2022, with an alarming spike in executions since August 2024.
And at least 170 civilians, including five children, have been executed in areas of Ukraine controlled by Russian authorities, including in places of detention.
Meanwhile, about half of the 469 Russian POWs interviewed by OHCHR described torture and ill-treatment, mostly during the initial stages of captivity.
Twenty-six of those interviewed reported having been subjected to sexual violence.
The Monitoring Mission has also verified the execution of 26 Russian POWs; with one exception, these killings occurred in 2022 and early 2023.
These crimes must not go unpunished.
All victims of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law deserve justice. Accountability is not optional – it is an obligation under international law.
Mr. President,
In its only consensual decision concerning Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, the Presidential Statement of 6 May 2022, the Security Council recalled that all Member States have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.
The resolution the Council adopted a few minutes ago urges a swift end to the conflict.
Indeed, it is high time for peace in Ukraine.
This peace must be just, sustainable and comprehensive, in line with the Charter of the United Nations, international law, and resolutions of the General Assembly, including those adopted this morning.
This includes full respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders.
Thank you.