New York, UN
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific
Madam President,
Since our last briefing to this Council on 23 September, the attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukraine have reached a new horrifying level.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, this week alone, more than 100 civilians were killed and at least 429 others injured across Ukraine.
Yesterday, on 8 October, at least 33 people were reportedly killed in a Russian glide bomb attack that hit two civilian passenger buses in the frontline city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk region. At least 18 others were reported injured.
The same day, Russian drone strikes reportedly killed at least six people and injured 17 others in Kyiv.
On 7 October, the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched dozens of missiles and drones on several regions of Ukraine, reportedly killing at least 32 people, including five children, and injuring at least 104 others, many of them children.
The deadliest attack was reported in the city of Pryluky in Chernihiv region, where a Russian missile destroyed a residential building. At least 19 people, including five children, were reportedly killed, and 55 others, including many children, were injured.
Civilian casualties were also reported in Poltava and Kirovohrad regions in central Ukraine, and Kyiv City.
We strongly condemn all attacks against civilians.
Madam President,
The pattern of dangerously escalating Russian attacks has led to a significant increase in civilian casualties this year. Each month has recorded higher numbers of casualties compared to the corresponding month in any of the three previous years.
The round-the-clock attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns in the recent weeks have led to massive disruption of the daily lives of millions of Ukrainians.
In Kyiv, air raid alerts are not only daily – they last hours on end, causing immense stress and stoking fear. On 27 September, air raid alerts were active for 19 out of 24 hours.
The repeated strikes have also inflicted extensive damage to civilian infrastructure. Attacks on telecommunications, and retail, food, and logistics companies have surged to alarming levels.
In Kyiv, the Russian Federation targeted key bridges across the Dnipro River for four consecutive days, from 1 to 4 October, marking the first such attack since the early days of the full-scale invasion. These strikes risk severing the critical transportation artery used daily by tens of thousands of Kyiv residents.
Educational and research institutions have also been repeatedly hit. On 28 September, a Russian drone attack severely damaged the National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv, reportedly killing two people.
In late September, the Russian Federation also stepped up large-scale, coordinated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. At least eight power generation and distribution facilities in three regions and the city of Kyiv were targeted, resulting in widespread blackouts and water supply disruptions.
Residents of Kyiv and other major cities could face darkness and extreme cold this winter if these attacks do not stop now.
All attacks on energy infrastructure and on population centres must cease immediately.
This is especially urgent, as temperatures will soon plummet below freezing, endangering the lives of vulnerable civilians.
Madam President,
We also remain deeply concerned by the rising number of civilian casualties as a result of stepped-up attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces in the Russian Federation.
Between 8 and 9 October, four people were killed and several others, including at least one child, were injured in the Belgorod region, according to local authorities.
In one of the recent large-scale strikes, on 6 October, Russian authorities reported that two people were killed and nine others injured in the Moscow region. Residential buildings and vehicles were reportedly damaged in several municipalities.
From January to September 2026, OHCHR recorded reports of 3,890 civilian casualties - 496 killed and 3,394 injured - in the Russian Federation.
All attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur, are a violation of international humanitarian law and must end immediately.
Madam President,
The regional and global fallout of the war continues to grow.
Repeated drone incursions and attacks targeting Moldova’s border crossings with Ukraine, used daily by thousands of civilians, are raising alarm over the persistent security threats stemming from the war.
Particularly worrisome, in the Black Sea, attacks on civilian vessels have multiplied and expanded in geographic scope.
On 6 October, drones reportedly hit several commercial vessels in the Black Sea, including, for the first time, two ships in the exclusive economic zone of Bulgaria.
One of the impacted vessels, sailing under Togo’s flag, sank and its crew was reported missing.
Only a day earlier, two people were reported killed when a Turkish-owned ship carrying Ukrainian grain caught fire and sank in Romania's territorial waters, following a drone strike.
The recent escalation of attacks on maritime trade routes, combined with attacks on Ukraine’s port, transport, grain and other agricultural infrastructure, continues to drive up global food prices.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in September wheat prices rose by 6.3 per cent, reaching their highest level since August 2023.
The United Nations welcomes and supports all diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation and ensuring safe civilian navigation in the Black Sea.
We urge the sides to engage constructively to reach agreement on credible arrangements that can be implemented and sustained, and we stand ready to support these efforts.
Madam President,
The situation for civilians in the territories of Ukraine under the temporary occupation of the Russian Federation is of grave concern.
The reports coming from the occupied city of Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region, are harrowing.
As of early October, an estimated 2,000 people, including 35 children, reportedly remained trapped in the city without access to food or medical supplies.
Drone attacks and landmines made evacuation routes dangerous, and no safe, organized evacuations have been allowed.
With winter approaching, a local ceasefire is urgently needed to enable civilians to safely leave Oleshky and to ensure unimpeded delivery of life-saving assistance.
Madam President,
The current cycle of escalating attacks against civilians must end now before the civilian toll reaches new, devastating levels.
The rising regional tensions must not be allowed to spiral into an even more dangerous escalation.
Diplomacy and dialogue must prevail and be given a genuine chance to succeed.
Recent diplomatic engagements should be stepped up and lead to meaningful results towards peace.
We call on the sides to work towards a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire leading to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with international law, including the United Nations Charter and relevant United Nations resolutions.
It is time to end this war. The United Nations stands ready to support all meaningful efforts to that end.
Thank you.