ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL MIROSLAV JENČA’S
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
UKRAINE
New York, 21 October 2024
Madam President,
Since the last time we briefed this Council in September, Russia’s relentless, systematic attacks have continued to bring immense suffering to the people of Ukraine.
Civilian casualties and extensive damage to critical civilian infrastructure are reported daily, with Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine bearing the brunt.
Attacks over the weekend and this morning resulted in several casualties in Zaporizhzhia and Kryviy Rih.
On 15 and 16 October, attacks in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions of Ukraine resulted in civilian casualties and damage to residential building and a school, according to local authorities.
The ongoing hostilities have also led authorities in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region to further expand mandatory evacuations to some 7,000 people.
While the worst impact of the war continues to be felt in the front-line communities of eastern and southern Ukraine, death and destruction is also a daily occurrence away from the areas of active fighting. This includes residential areas of the capital, Kyiv, which was again targeted with drones this morning and over the weekend. On 16 October, Kyiv was reportedly attacked by over 130 drones. Lviv in the west of Ukraine and Odesa in the south have also been repeatedly hit, with multiple civilian casualties.
We are also concerned about the impact of continuing fighting across the Russian-Ukrainian border, particularly in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, following Ukraine’s August incursion.
In September, at least 208 Ukrainian civilians were killed and 1,220 injured, making it the month with the highest number of civilian casualties this year in Ukraine.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, launched in violation of the UN Charter and international law, 11,973 civilians, including 622 children, have been killed. 25,943 people, including 1,686 children, have been injured.
We reiterate that all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law, wherever they occur. They are unacceptable and must end immediately.
Civilian vessels and port infrastructure are equally protected under international humanitarian law.
Distressingly, we have witnessed the resumption of Russian attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports in recent weeks.
Since 1 September, these attacks damaged six civilian vessels as well as grain infrastructure in the ports, according to local officials.
As a result, wheat prices have increased more than 6 percent between 1 September and 14 October.
Prices of risk insurance for Ukrainian exporters have surged, affecting the Ukrainian agricultural sector.
The safety and sustainability of agricultural exports passing through the Black Sea remain critical for global food security.
The UN therefore continues engagement with Ukraine, the Russian Federation and Türkiye, as well as other stakeholders, in support of freedom and safety of navigation in the Black Sea.
Madam President,
Systematic Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have become one of the defining, abhorrent hallmarks of this war.
The large-scale destruction and interruption of power and water supplies throughout the country will likely worsen the living conditions for millions of Ukrainians through the third winter of this war.
Vulnerable groups - including older persons, people with disabilities, and the internally displaced - are likely to be disproportionately affected. Many may soon find themselves trapped in their homes without heating and other essential utilities.
These conditions are expected to magnify the already dire humanitarian situation.
In the first eight months of 2024, some 7.2 million people have received humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.
However, we remain deeply concerned about the 1.5 million people who we have been unable to properly reach in parts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, currently occupied by the Russian Federation.
We renew our call for the safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief to all civilians in need, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.
We also renew our call for donors to increase and accelerate flexible funding for the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. Only just over half of it has been funded.
Madam President,
Widespread and systematic reports of torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war remains a grave concern. Ninety-seven percent of Ukrainian prisoners interviewed by OHCHR since March 2023 provided consistent and detailed accounts of torture or ill-treatment during captivity. Sixty-eight percent reported sexual violence.
Half of the Russian prisoners of war interviewed by OHCHR reported experiencing torture or ill-treatment, primarily during the initial stage of internment.
We urge the authorities of the Russian Federation, as well as of Ukraine, to end this practice and hold perpetrators accountable.
On a positive note, we welcome the exchange last Friday of 95 prisoners of war on each side and encourage continued exchanges. We also welcome the exchange of hundreds of bodies on the same day.
In the territory of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation, arbitrary detention, torture and restriction of civic space add to an already oppressive climate of fear.
We call for accountability for all human rights violations, in line with international norms and standards.
Madam President,
As long as the war continues, the safety and security of Ukraine’s nuclear sites remain in jeopardy.
The situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is particularly precarious. Reported regular explosions, drone attacks, gunfire, and repeated interruptions of external power supply increase the risk of a nuclear accident.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has also been monitoring the impact of reported military activities in the vicinity of Russia’s Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.
Preventing a nuclear accident during the war is vital. Attacking a nuclear power plant is unimaginable and unacceptable.
We continue to appeal for maximum restraint by all involved.
Madam President,
The Security Council’s Open Debate on women, peace and security later this week will highlight the crucial contributions of women to peace and security. We urge the full and equal participation of Ukrainian women in all efforts towards a better future of their country.
Next month will mark 1,000 days of this devastating war. A war that continues to cause deep human suffering, threatens regional stability, and worsens global divisions.
The Pact for the Future commits all of us to work towards a future of hope, cooperation and peace.
This commitment to work for peace also requires more efforts for peace in Ukraine.
The United Nations stands ready to support all meaningful efforts towards a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and resolutions of the General Assembly.