Security Council Arria Formula: "Piercing the Blind Spots of Violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law in the Context of the Ukrainian Crisis: Putting the Spotlight on Activities of Armed Forces of Ukraine"

Through each and every time. Colleagues, we are about to start, waiting for the last two colleagues to join us. So I will start now.

Colleagues, I'd like to thank you for participating in the meeting today. The discussion of the Ukrainian crisis in the mass media and at the UN, including the Security Council, is not something that can be called objective or comprehensive. And this situation is a consequence of a mass information campaign which is conducted by the Western sponsors of Ukraine.

The Western countries cannot acknowledge that they are sponsoring and whitewashing the regime which is committing the worst crimes. showing that they are blind and deaf and there are double standards. Our organization is also a full victim to that, which is trying to avoid documenting the crimes of the Kyiv regime, at the same time accusing Russia in a baseless manner. And this is particularly characteristic to the OHCHR headed by Mr. Turk. These are symptoms of a crisis at the UN. We see sometimes some independent experts who are providing glimmer of truth. Sometimes they're telling us about systematic torture and sexual violence, but these are just crumbs. And do they give you a true picture of what's happening on the ground? These are the very realities that we will be hearing from the briefers today in two aspects, the military from the viewpoint of the Russian service members. detained by the Ukrainian side and who are existing in inhumane conditions in border territories and the near border areas where the Ukrainian forces are using the so-called logistics blockade very widely. Colleagues, the time has come to close these blind areas and finally move on to a dialogue which is based on the principles of objectivity and impartiality. in order to provide you with first-hand evidence, verified and reliable data about these atrocities and the other side of the Kiev prisons, we have the first speaker who visited those places himself, including in Alyoshka, who did talk to those who were subjected to torture, the servicemen. I'd like, it's my honor to give the floor to Ambassador at Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, who is dealing with the crimes committed by the Kiev regime, distinguished Rodion Valerievich Miroshnikov. You have the floor.

Ladies and gentlemen.

It is a great honor for me to be here today, and I will try to share with you what I know personally and have witnessed myself. In one of the most recent reports of OHCHR on the tortures by the Kiev regime, included accurately by in passing the statements that most of the crimes were committed at the early stages of detention, which means that the authors know that there's a whole network of secret prisons in Ukraine, which are places of torture, violence, and lawlessness. However, this knowledge, unfortunately, does not affect the position of the OHCHR or the attitude of Kyiv's sponsors to the crimes committed by the Ukrainian regime. In the border area, which is controlled by Kyiv, there's a whole network of dozens of secret prisons. which in the reports of international human rights organizations are called transit camps in such a veiled manner. Human rights activists know about them, but they do not have access to them, or rather, they do not seek to visit the hell that was created by the Ukrainian Nazis, who were taken under wing by civilized Europe. We have collected the testimonies of hundreds of our fighters who returned from Ukrainian captivity. You have before me, before you, my reports in two parts. Please take a look. And it is a collection of testimonies from dozens of prisoners of war who have returned from their detention. And I think the firsthand account will be best. So please take a look at the screen. There will be short stories by the former prisoners of war who returned to Russia from Ukraine.

When you-- if you don't remember, two other masked men come in and take you into the basement. When we were taken to Kharkov, the doctor was shocked. She said, well, there's nothing but meat left here. There's nothing. There's no live tissue.

The interpreter apologizes.

The sound quality is low sometimes, but there are captions on the screen.......

Просто возле, получается, стопа его ставит, и они просто говорят, смотрите, мы голову поднимаем, смотрим, и они просто с двух автоматов его расстреливают. Просто разносят. Начинают стрелять ему в ноги, в руки. Он, то есть, упал, этот пацан. И один из них, просто, этот младший, стреляет ему в голову. А этот старший ему говорит. типа зачем то я хотел чтобы он помучился ну ему сказали приехать туда он там был с послом нечелюстью в больничку лежал в подвале еле дышал вот они говорят добейте его нет ну все равно лежит ну там один бегал радовался я вот ему через слона битый разнес мне полностью вытащили его за сарай запустили собаку собака через минут десять пятнадцать.

Microphone, please, sir. Microphone, please.

Usually, they are in those areas which are protected by the Ukrainian forces, and foreign observers or human rights activists are not allowed there. And sages are reigning there and who hide behind masks and bandanas. They represent the Ukrainian structures, their security forces and armed forces and other entities which conducting investigations. Each of them has the goal of making sure that the prisoner testify what they need to hear or cooperate with them. From the first word, the prison wardens say that until they are in prison, they are at full disposal of the wardens. They can be beaten, they can be deprived of food, and it is up to the wardens to decide whether they live or die, regardless of Oh, we will only be able to say how many people have been kept there once we liberate those territories and reach the secret graves and receive the testimony of those who were involved. According to the outcome of hours-long interviews with those who suffered, we have seen the most widely used ways, means used by the Ukrainians. The absolute majority of the former prisoners talk about brutal beatings that everyone without exception, service people, were subjected to whenever they ended up in Ukrainian prisoners. They say that immediately upon arrival, they were beaten for hours on end. Plastic tubes were being used, metal tubes and wooden furniture. Sometimes they were hanging for hours from the ceiling, bleeding out. The Ukrainian say just have a whole arsenal of technical means of exerting psychological and physical pressure on prisoners. The prisoners mention that the electric chairs were being used all the time, the field telephones, and they say that the sensitive parts of their bodies or their genitals was clamped, which was connected to an electric generator. And then the electric shock is going through the prisoner's body. And the person then goes into convulsions. And when particular efforts are being made, sometimes the prisoners lose consciousness or they die. In Ukrainian prisoners, people were deprived of food and drink. They would get half a liter of water per person per day. And in these places, toilets were not even provided for. In other words, the person didn't have anything to eat or drink or couldn't go to the toilet. If the Ukrainians got a hold of the prisoner's phone, that they would extend the psychological torture to members of the family, to the parents, to the spouses. They were being sent the pictures of their loved one under torture and demanded ransom. Or promises were made that the person would not undergo a beating if the prisoner was ready to commit an act of terror against their own country. The psychological pressing was such that their families sometimes would have a stroke. The suffering servicemen are also mentioning the barbaric pseudo-medical procedures, the limbs amputated, medieval torture, being branded, and Nazi insignia being branded on them. The booklet shows the inhumane atmosphere that is reigning in the internment camps. In actual fact, what it is is a torture chamber. at the disposal of nationalist battalions or Ukrainian armed forces. There's a whole network of such prisoners on the Ukrainian sides, which complete lawlessness, where sadism reigns in Kharkiv area, Kherson region, in Kyiv, and in Sumy area. And this is something that the political leadership of Kyiv knows very well about. Most probably the European sponsors know about them as well. And the list of the methods I've just described of physical and psychological torture is not exhaustive. The Ukrainian sadists frequently are very inventive when they are torturing unarmed and weakened people. The most recent news we have is that our servicemen were used, their bodies were used to demine a field or collars were placed on them, which were then exploded. I am convinced that everything that I'm saying is not news for those who are making maximum efforts, including international platforms, to prevent honest investigations and showing the true colors of the Ukrainian side. We demand that the facts that we have submitted to you become investigated. And the mission of human rights organizations under the control of Kyiv regime, that they make maximum efforts to gain access to the places of illegal detention of our servicemen, to make sure that then human rights advocates, when they say that most of what is being done by the Ukrainian fighters that torture is being conducted at the early stages. They just don't understand very well what is happening to Russian service members when they are taken prisoner. And we do know that no principles of international humanitarian law apply in that territory. Now, when talking about the crimes of the Kyiv regime, I cannot overlook the escalation of the mass terror that started about six months ago. More specifically, from the time the European military funding arrived in the form of the so-called reparation credit from the European Union and the 40-day strategy of forcing Russia to negotiations. This way, they started a new stage of a terror war against my country. It's not being talked about in respectable European society, but the stake here was to launch a whole number of criminal projects which transferred this conflict from a war of attrition into a war of elimination. In the course of the first months of escalation, the number of attacks using attack drones against civilians and in civilian infrastructure increased fourfold. And you can see this on the chart right in front of you here. There, about in the middle, you will see that's the point where the 40 billion credit was given to Kyiv. This resulted in a sharp increase in the number of strikes. Today, it's about 1,200 sorties every day, and this is the data we have for August and September. The average number of civilians hit increased threefold in April, every day. about 20-25 of our civilians were hurt. By the time of August, the number rose to 60-65. People died, people were injured, mainly because of the attacks by Ukrainian drones. Since the beginning of 2024, 2026, rather, more than 10,000 civilians have suffered. Out of them, 1,300 died or killed. The overall number of civilians who suffered since February 2022 is in excess of 36,000 people. Every week this number goes up by 300-400 people. The number of civilians who were killed by the Ukrainian units as of this week is 9,800 people. Also, a catastrophic growth of intentional strikes by Ukrainian units against minors, minor children. Since the beginning of this year, already 484 children were killed and maimed, 72 of them died. In August, in just one month, 101 child was injured. Kiev decided to use the kinds of crimes that earlier were not considered acceptable even for the worst criminals. Given Ukraine a lot of money to buy various kinds of drones, launched a transport war against civilians. In addition to the usual crimes by Kiev, such as attacking private cars, systemic strikes against passenger buses was added, which carry a large number of passengers. More than 250 deliberate strikes of buses have happened already. More than 430 civilians died from that. By mid of July this year, major warehouses, civilian warehouses, had not been considered as possible strike targets. But after that, Kyiv started systemic way of destroying marketplaces in tens of regions in Russia. Up until that point, Russia didn't used to do anything like that. This is a Ukrainian invention. The drones that were transferred by the Westerners then arrived at major Russian marketplaces, such as Wildberries and Ozone. I can show you what these attacks look like and what remains after such a shelling, what remains in the place of a major technological complex. Can you take a look at this? This is one of the areas which is near St. Petersburg.

That's one strike.

Parking lot is being attacked right next to the marketplace. Monitoring group of the International Committee of the Red Cross has an opportunity of assessing the consequences of the strikes. The first network place had more than 40 warehouses hit. The second one, more than 10 warehouses hit. In the course on the attack on Wildberries, more than 140 staff were injured. More than 10 people died on the spot. The Ukrainians aim their effort at depriving the people from rescue and medical assistance. What you see here are just two places that were attacked. To date, there are more than 40 that have been struck, and they more or less look the same, like this. Another area which the Ukrainian fighters took upon themselves is striking the hospital and ambulances in violation of the Geneva Convention. Their regular targets are hospital and ambulances. You can see on the screen a hospital in the town of Valoshky, which is under blockade, but is also being struck, even the medical facilities, and more than 15 ambulances were intentionally destroyed by Ukrainian drones. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 150 medical facilities were under attack. 98 were ambulances were damaged or destroyed in over nine months. 116 medical staff who were injured, 24 of them died. Kiev intensify the massive strike on the civilian facilities of energy, merchant fleet, civilian facilities, and private houses. Let me just dwell on a couple of things. At present, what is being discussed widely is a Kyiv strategy to create a medieval blockade using high technology means. Several weeks ago, I returned from a trip to Zaporizhzhia region, and I can share with you now the photo and videos of what the transport war really looks like, the transport war organized by the Kyiv regime. Take a look at the video.

This is a civilian road.

This is what I filmed during one year of traveling between Melitopol and Mariupol in the territory of Russia. Hundreds of Western-made drones. They're attacking cargo trucks, passenger buses, and cars. You can see the trucks are being burned, containing food and oil. And you can see destroyed bridges. The goal of this all is to make sure that the civilians are without any supplies, food, medicines, or basic needs.

Kyiv has set itself a goal.

Of making sure that they create famine in border towns and using all means at their disposal to do that. the means that is being so generously provided by the Western countries. By the time of my trip to the Zaporizhzhia region in Energodar, where up to 120,000 people lived, five out of six major food supermarkets had been destroyed. One of the days, one of my trip, Ukraine struck one more humanitarian food warehouse, which contained foodstuffs for the people who had been left without supplies. And it was struck on that day.

Can you please take a look?

Up to 80 tons of foodstuffs were there, destined for those people who had been left without nothing.

But the most famous example of such a blockade that

many found out only because the Ukrainian side, with Western support, organized a special information propaganda campaign, and I am referring to the town of Balakliya in the Kherson region. Alushky is a Russian town where Russian citizens live. It's on the right side of the Dnieper and is separated by the river from the Ukrainian positions, about three kilometers. For about three years, Kyiv has been striking the city every hour. This has been lasting for three hours. They have no electricity, they have no centralized water supplies, basically they have no communications. And essentially, any attempt to restore communications there very soon results in a destructive strike by Ukraine. Over several months of blockade organized by Kyiv, I managed to visit them. I visited their local hospital, met people, tried to find out from them how they managed to survive, given that they are being shelled essentially every hour. and just ask them what their plans were. Let me just show you a reel which came out of my short trip.

Много людей приходят за гуманитаркой.

Приходит и по 100, по 110 человек.

У нас мука, сахар, рис, макароны, масло, сгущенка, килька и тушенка.

И что сюда прилетело, не знаете.

Дрон сюда.

This is the town of Oleshky in Kherson region, which supposedly is a source of such concern by the Ukrainian side. This video was filmed about a year ago. The Ukrainian military units, whilst saying that they're worried about their faith, they mind all the approach roads to the town. Drones are constantly flying over them and they're striking any transport trying to get into Oleshky from a private car to ambulances. town is separated from the Ukrainian territory by the Dnieper River, which has no bridges or any other way of communication with the Ukrainian side. And what the Ukrainians are saying about evacuating refugees to the Ukrainian side is a barefaced lie. You can reach Ukraine, but only if you come through another city on the territory of Belarus. Everything else has been closed off by Ukraine. What is crossing the river are Ukrainian shells and drones. Let me show you some more film several days ago what Oleshki looks like today. This is the death road that is connecting Oleshki to the Iron Port city. You can see the carcasses of cars which had been destroyed by Ukrainian drones. This is what the city looks like today from the inside. About 1,000 civilians live there. There are no military personnel on the territory of Alyosha. For about several months now, the Ukrainians have completely blocked any transport going into the town. This is a result of three-year-long everyday strikes against the city.

One is possible.

One of the most recent attempts to bring in humanitarian supplies into the city took place in the beginning of September, more than a month ago. And I can show you what it looked like so that you can understand. Four civilian cars loaded with about 10 tons of foodstuffs, medicines, basic necessities The transport had a sign saying people all over it. And this convoy started moving towards Alyoshki from the town of Radziask. You can see the approach to the town of Alyoshki. You can see a drone, a Ukrainian drone, which is nearing the convoy. People are being asked to leave their transport and the first truck is being hit. Then the last minibus is being hit, the one that was last in the convoy. You can see one destroyed means of transport and the second one that was also struck using Ukrainian drones. The volunteers who were behind the wheel left, they ran away. Only one person was injured, the driver. But 10 tons of foodstuffs never reached Aleshki, where people were waiting for this assistance. The people in Aleshki are left with only one possibility of getting food, is to walk, avoid roads. And when they do that, they have to cross fields mined by Ukrainians. They're being mined by remotely, but this is being done to all of the approaches to Oleshky. I went to a hospital and tried to talk to those people who tried in their hands to bring in some food into Oleshky.

Take a look.

как американские реагируют на движение. То есть раньше лежали просто обыкновенные, там, магнитные, на вибрацию, а это новые, они стоят на штырях. То есть ты даже до неё 10 метров не дошёл, она срабатывает, направление на тебя. Вот мы и попали, потому что мы их увидели первый раз. Они как зонтики такие. И вот они наши, напарник, хоть и в бронежилете был, он погиб. And the woman was already running from the city, she was waiting for the products, and she was also running, and she was also running, and she was also running, and I don't know if she was alive or not, they took her away.

This person.

Went to Alushky tens of times trying to bring food to those people who had been lacking foodstuffs for the three past years because for three years all the approach roads were being struck by the Ukrainians. I spoke to another person who lives in the suburbs of Alushky, and he, by foot, went with his friends to get some foodstuffs. Take a look at his testimony.

Было четыре человека. Одна женщина пропала, одного нас притянула, а четвертая здесь. Вот какого женщины. Так больше ничего не знаю. Я так и не понял. Одна, потом вторая рванула. Я очнусь, я уже лежал на земле, дрющ, ноги тупые. Потом машину помню. Там дроны летают. Samolotik. Tam nadeli. Tam. A to jest ona na metal reaguje.

Da.

A kto kidaet.

Ukraina. Odny zeshly.

Today in Alyoshka, people are eating what they manage to plant and grow in their backyards, in their basements.

Or what they can get from the city of Bratsk, which is 25 kilometers away.

Let me show what that looks like.

People are gathering groups and on bicycles trying to avoid the mines, the Ukrainian mines. They are moving to the town of Radensk. They hit mines frequently. And their attempt to get some food is the price for that is their lives.

According.

To the local authorities, since the beginning of this year, 68 people died as a result of drone strikes, more 130 were injured. Unfortunately, this situation is a good illustration, but it's not a one-off case. The Ukrainian fighters, having received an unlimited arsenal, are working out ways of creating a remote blockade, creating impossible conditions for civilians. But the highest point of hypocrisy of the Nazi regime in Kiev is their subsequent expression of concern about the people, which the Ukrainians themselves are killing, depriving of food and the possibility to evacuate. So for us, the campaign, the campaign of so-called concern by the Ukrainian side is an example of highest cynicism and bloody practices that they're doing. Unfortunately, Alushka is not the only town which is being located by drones, the drones that Kyiv had received from Europe. There are towns on the shores of Dnieper, the Lake, which are similarly being blocked. Attempts are being made to block the cities to make sure that people can't leave, that they starve, and that they cannot evacuate those places. We wanted to, in conclusion, I wanted you to have an opportunity to speak to a person who is the head of the regional authorities in the Aleshki municipal district. It's Ruslan Homyenko. But because here in this room, we cannot connect him directly, we taped his story a couple of hours before the meeting today. And I'm asking the interpreters to please interpret Mr. Homyenko's statement.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I will tell you about this situation in the town of Oleshky today. the hero city of Oleshky is on the line of contact. And the line that's separating the two sides is the Dnieper River. All approaches to the river have been mined. Therefore, there is no communication with the other side, with the city of Kherson, with the enemy, with Ukraine. It's totally absent. Now, on the situation in the town of Alushka itself, what we have today is a very difficult humanitarian situation. People are trying to leave the town to get some food, and they do this on bicycles, they do this on foot, and they go to nearby towns.

As a rule, this is.

Futile because Ukraine, the enemy, is constantly mining the roads, is conducting artillery shelling and drone strikes. And that is why what we have in the city today is a situation of humanitarian catastrophe. There are difficulties with obtaining medications, Of course, once again, because constantly the enemy, Ukraine, Ukrainian armed forces are shelling the road and it's being constantly mined. We are constantly, together with the Russian armed forces, are doing demining of the roads and periodically we managed to organize corridors to enable people to leave, buy some food, buy some medicines. But unfortunately, it's very rare that we managed to organize such corridors and clearly this is not enough to organize normal life in the town of Oleshky. The town itself is in the following situation. We haven't had electricity for three years. For a year and a half, we had no gas supplies. And people are basically just trying to survive. To date, such a difficult humanitarian situation in Oleshky results from the fact that the terror regime of Ukraine, the Ukrainian armed forces, are constantly mining the road leading into Oleshky, shelling it using artillery, mine throwers, and We don't have a possibility to regularly bring in food and medicines into the sound. But thanks to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, periodically we managed to demine the road. and take the heavily wounded from from Aleshke and bring into the town medicines and humanitarian goods. Last time we managed to do that two and a half weeks ago. We brought in two tons, 100 kilos of humanitarian assistance and this was various kinds of pasta, sunflower oil, spam, condensed milk, And of course, we distributed that to the people over 80 years old, to those who were disabled and people with many children. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have to respect all humanitarian law standards, ensure safe travel down the road between Alyoshki and the towns of Radensk and Velyke Kamyani, and to stop terrorizing and shelling the people in the town itself. In other words, stop the drone strikes, stop dropping all kinds of ammunition from their drones on the heads of the peaceful civilians in Oleshky. What we see all the time are killings conducted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the civilians in Oleshky. Since the beginning of the year, in the town itself, we had 29 people who were killed and 130 wounded from explosions and mines. Overall, in the area, we have 173 people who were wounded, 39 people killed.

But altogether, together with the town itself, 283 people were wounded and 68 people were killed.

Thank you very much.

I do apologize if this took a bit of time, but we thought.

We had to give you all of the details that show you the true situation in the town of Oleshky, which has to do with the escalation of terrorist activity in Ukraine.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much for your sobering description of the situation on the ground. Colleagues, unfortunately, one of the grievers and we expected his presence, the Assistant Secretary General on Human Rights, Miss Claudio Julio. Unfortunately, she couldn't find time to participate in this meeting of ours because, and I quote, she had to attend another event outside of headquarters. We are disappointed by this decision because we expected a very candid dialogue on the basis of facts and witnesses, and we criticized the Office's.

Approach to the crisis in Ukraine and the way they collect and process data. But we're always open to a constructive dialogue. Now, today,

unfortunately, OHCHR did not use, and I think this was intentional. Colleagues, in order to look at what is happening through the prism of a professional military analysis and partial statistics and facts, I give the floor to the next speaker, an independent expert, representative for civil society, Larry Johnson, who has been working for, had worked for many years for the CIA. Larry, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Ambassador, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, thank you for the opportunity to address you. My name is Larry Johnson, I served as an officer in the Central Intelligence Agency and later in the State Department's Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. I also spent more than two decades working with U.S. United States military special operations forces. I come to this council not as a spokesman for any government, but as someone who's spent a career studying how wars are fought, how civilians suffer in them, and how hostilities are accompanied by disinformation campaigns. And I would just note parenthetically and ironically, During my time at the CIA, I was involved with information operations against the Soviet Union and the war in Afghanistan. So I bring firsthand knowledge to how disinformation campaigns work. For more than four years, this council has heard that Russia is waging a war against Ukraine and it's targeting civilians. You do not need to come to the Security Council to hear this narrative, it is all over the media and the internet. I ask you to test that claim against the evidence. Today, thanks to Ambassador Miroshnik, we've heard some terrible stories of civilians targeted, of prisoners of war being tortured, and civilians held against their will by Ukrainian armed forces. I want you to ask yourselves a couple of questions. Why are the civilians that are dying in Russia from drone attacks discounted? And why are the civilians that were killed in Ukraine before February 2022 ignored? Based on my experience, the crisis in Ukraine has been accompanied by a sophisticated disinformation campaign that is designed to place all blame on Russia while exonerating Ukraine. Let's begin with the scale of the fighting. By the Ukrainian government's own figures, Russia has fired well over approximately two and a half million tons of munitions. This includes more than 100,000 glide bombs, attack drones, missiles, millions of artillery rounds since February of 2022. But now consider the human toll. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has verified 16,431 civilian deaths through the middle of this year. Every one of those deaths is a tragedy, and I don't minimize any of them. But I would simply note that the ratio of civilian deaths to munitions expended is extraordinarily low for a war of this intensity. Simply compare those numbers with what the United States did in the Second World War, a war my own country regarded as just. Allied bombers dropped 2.7 million tons of bombs on Europe and killed between a half million and three quarters of a million civilians in Europe. And in the Pacific, the United States dropped 160,000 tons of bombs on the Japanese home islands. And all American air attacks in Japan killed somewhere between 330,000 and a half million civilians. Put the figures side by side. In total, the United States killed somewhere between half a million and more than a million civilians in the Second World War. while the verified toll in Ukraine after more than four years of intense attacks is but a small fraction of that. The numbers do not happen by accident. The record of Russia in Ukraine is consistent with a policy of not targeting civilians. These facts contradict the claim that Russia is waging a war or a campaign of extermination against Ukraine's civilian population. I believe we must apply the same standard to Ukraine. The killing of civilians in this conflict did not begin in February 2022. From 2014 through 2021, the OHCHR recorded at least 3,404 civilian deaths in the Donbas. From 2018 through 2021, that same organization found that 81% of the civilian casualties came from Ukrainian shelling, small arms fire, and drone attacks that were in civilian areas held by Donetsk and Luhansk authorities. Those victims are forgotten by the world media and by the United Nations, it would appear. Few call for any investigation or accountability. Since February of 2022, according to figures the Russian Foreign Ministry presented to the Human Rights Council last month, Ukrainian strikes have killed more than 9,000 civilians in territories under Russian control and wounded more than 25,500. Yet this Council has rarely discussed those victims. I think they deserve the same attention and the same investigation as every civilian killed on the other side of the line. Today we've heard some of the circumstances of their deaths. I hope that the United Nations will include those numbers in their reports in order to give an unbiased record of events. At least 12,404 civilians have been killed by Ukrainian forces since 2014. Thus, we come to the simple fact that the number of civilians killed on both sides of the front line are not that different. even if we take into the numbers offered by the OHCCHR at their face value and take into account the disparity in the amount of firepower applied on the front lines. There's 12,404 compared to 16,431. And I know that the government of Russia strongly challenges some of those numbers, citing in particular the questionable OHCHR claim that Russia was responsible for Bucha. Why is the focus exclusively on Russia while we hear nothing about the Ukrainian armed forces committing crimes against civilians? I'm not asking this group to excuse any unlawful act. Where a strike violates the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, it should be investigated, whoever carries it out. I'm asking the Council to apply a single standard. The nations that sit in judgment of Russia should measure Russia's conduct against the evidence and against their own history, not against a narrative. False accusations and biased reports are not the most effective way to protect civilians in Ukraine. The key to protecting civilians, in my view, is a negotiated end to this war. I urge the members of this council to put their full weight behind that goal. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Johnson.

I'm opening the floor now and I will give the floor to members of the council in accordance with a list of speakers. If possible, could you please limit your statements to three minutes. The first one on the list.

It's Panama.

Thank you, Your Excellency.

We take note of the interesting information that the briefers have shared with us, and we thank them for their briefings. The subject today that brings us together and on which we have heard about in the briefings invites us, I think, to look at important dimensions of the conflict in greater detail. We need to be able to record all events rigorously and impartially, accurately, in order to be able to know and evaluate the facts. and therefore ensure appropriate accountability in accordance with international law. We need to accurately document, adequately document events taking place on both sides of the conflict, and that will enable us to know what the facts are, understand the specific needs to better direct humanitarian assistance and protection measures for civilians, and provide elements that will make it possible to determine responsibilities in accordance with applicable law. Four years on now into this conflict, there has been immense suffering caused amongst the civilian populations, and this continues to endanger international peace and security. The time has come to adopt specific measures so that this conflict can come to an end. As we have said on other occasions, it's urgent that we move towards a lasting peace through the reestablishment of dialogue and the search for peaceful solutions in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law. The protection of the civilian population, above all of women, children, and the most vulnerable, must be an absolute priority. All parties must respect international humanitarian law and human rights, abstain from attacking civilians and civilian assets, and guarantee the humane treatment of those detained, including prisoners of war. It is imperative that there be rapid, secure and unhindered humanitarian access provided, that the evacuation routes be protected, and that drones and other military capacities not be used against civilians. This is contrary to international law. And this is a concern which, unfortunately, we have been -- we've seen has not been respected in this conflict. The needs of the population affected, including those that live in difficult-to-access areas, is what should guide our response. We reaffirm our full support for the work of the United Nations, its agencies, and its monitoring mechanisms. Their impartial, independent activity is essential to document violations of international law, provide for accountability, and attend to the needs of the populations affected. Let us hope that they can continue doing that work objectively. Equally, we recognize the indispensable work of humanitarian actors on the ground. Their commitment to humanitarian principles makes it possible to provide assistance to the most vulnerable populations. Excellency, the impact of this war transcends clearly its borders. We are particularly concerned about the global food security and the consequences of attacks on ports, merchant vessels, and agricultural export infrastructure. The initiative, the Black Sea Initiative for the export of grain, showed that even in the midst of war, international cooperation can open up areas of understanding and ensure that essential goods and food can flow and reach millions of people. We call upon the parties to resume dialogue and to work together with the help of the United Nations to reestablish the initiative that will make it possible to renew safe exports of cereals, the Black Sea, grain through the Black Sea. It's important that the Black Sea once again become a clear passage point for grain to ensure food security for millions of people around the world. In the context of the subject at hand today, and also really with regard to other conflicts, it's essential that we know in depth, in detail, the reality of the situation on the ground and it's even more important when we're talking about situations that could violate human rights. Otherwise, it will be impossible to delineate responsibility and ensure accountability. We cannot allow, ever, parties to provide disinformation or be hypocritical And that would just make us accomplices in evil. And this would enable either of the parties to avoid accountability and avoid those that are responsible for these acts being punished. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished ambassador of Panama. I now give the floor to the representative of China.

Chair. I thank the briefers for their briefings. A prolonged and escalating Ukraine crisis is not in the interest of any party. Dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out of the crisis. China calls for prioritizing humanitarian issues and making every effort to minimize the negative impact of the conflict on civilians. In light of recent developments and the briefings just now, I wish to make three points. First, fighting on the ground is intensifying, resulting in heavy civilian casualties and extensive damage to civilian facilities, including energy, power, food, logistics, and warehousing facilities, which is deeply distressing and concerning. We call on both parties to exercise restraint, strictly observe international humanitarian law, avoid attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure to keep alive the hope for early return to peace. Second, Through the briefings just now and the recent open meeting of the Security Council, we have learned that some frontline towns are under blockade, where basic living conditions, including access to water, electricity, heating, and internet, cannot be ensured, causing extreme hardship in some frontline towns. Residents' freedom of movement and access to basic services are restricted, resulting in a worrisome humanitarian situation. We urge the parties concerned to prioritize people's livelihoods, refrain from imposing logistical blockades for military purposes, and ensure essential supplies, medical assistance, and basic public services for frontline residents. Third, the Third Geneva Convention stipulates that prisoners of war have the right to humane treatment and to be protected from torture, ill treatment, and other forms of harm. China, in its position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis issued earlier, called for protecting civilians and the prisoners of war and respecting the basic rights of POWs. We call on the parties concerned to strictly abide by relevant international law and to ensure adequate living conditions, medical care, and human dignity of POWs and detainees. Chair, guided by the four points on what must be done proposed by President Xi Jinping, China has been calling for the cessation of hostilities and committed to promoting talks for peace and a political settlement. We support all efforts conducive to peace and encourage the parties concerned to work with each other in the same direction, properly address each other's security concerns, and eliminate the root causes of the crisis, with a view to reaching a comprehensive, lasting, and signing peace agreement at an earlier date. China stands ready to work with the international community to continue playing a constructive role in promoting a political settlement of the crisis. Thank you.

I thank the representative of China, and I'll give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Mr. Chair, we have attentively listened to the remarks delivered by Ambassador Milhojnik. We also take note of the testimonies delivered and also those contained in the booklets provided. Pakistan has consistently expressed its concerns on the conflict in Ukraine, its humanitarian dimensions, and other associated consequences for the region and beyond. From the outset, our position has been underpinned by our unwavering conviction in the primacy of dialogue and diplomacy for the peaceful settlement of this conflict. We hope that the parties can engage in a sustained and earnest dialogue to bring an end to this conflict. The recent escalation in hostilities has compounded the misery of the civilian population affected by this conflict. We are alarmed by the disproportionate impacts on all civilians as a result of continued fighting. We remain concerned about the plight of civilians along the frontlines. All efforts must be made to remedy their plight. International law and the international humanitarian law are universally applicable. All parties must fully comply with their obligations under the IHL, including the Third Geneva Conventions, stipulating humane treatment of the prisoners of war. We reiterate our call for bringing this conflict to an end at the earliest and for a just and lasting settlement consistent with the UN Charter, international law, the relevant multilateral agreements acceptable to all relevant parties and corresponding to the security interests of all sides. I thank.

You.

I thank the representative of Pakistan, and I'll give the floor to the United States.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has reached a dangerous stalemate, one which continues to cost both sides dearly. Strikes, retaliation, destruction, and death continue unabated. Kyiv and Moscow must decide whether to perpetuate this vicious cycle or end it. They must choose whether to escalate or negotiate, to endanger lives or to spare them. The correct choice is clear. Both must immediately return to the negotiating table. As a step towards a permanent, negotiated settlement, The United States once again calls on both sides to cease attacks against energy infrastructure, grain, and food supply chains. President Trump has been clear about what we expect from both sides of the conflict. We urge the parties to read and heed those expectations. We likewise urge all parties to take immediate steps to protect humanitarian workers and first responders. We demand the protection of all those who bravely put themselves at risk to help civilians in need. The United States remains committed to playing a constructive role to stop the needless violence and to end this war. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States and now give the floor to Somalia.

the Russian Federation for convening this area of formal meeting. We also thank the previous for the comprehensive briefing. We remain deeply concerned by the ongoing hostilities and the continued worsening of the humanitarian and security conditions in Ukraine. The current developments serve as a reminder of the ongoing volatilities in the region and the far region consequences for civilian population and infrastructure. The protection of civilian lives and infrastructure must remain a central concern. Upholding accountability and adhering strictly to the international humanitarian law and international human rights law are essential in establishing a solid and enduring peace. My delegation emphasizes the importance of upholding international law and humanitarian principles in all circumstances. The human treatment of prisoners of war and detainees under the Geneva Conventions represent a basic and universal obligation. In this spirit, we welcome the recent positive humanitarian milestone achieved on August 19, which facilitated the exchange and repatriation of more than 200 prisoners of war through mediated dialogue. Such steps serve as essential confidence-building measures and demonstrate that even amidst profound conflict, constructive cooperation remains possible. Mr. Chair, there is no military solution to the conflict in Ukraine. We believe that lasting peace in Ukraine will only be possible through a genuine diplomatic commitment, open channels of communication, and respect for established principles under international law. We reiterate our call for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire by all parties and urge restraint to prevent any further deterioration of the situation. Constructive engagement remains essential, and only through sustained diplomatic efforts and willingness to compromise can a durable and just peace be achieved. Every opportunity for peace must be seized and built upon. My delegation reaffirms its commitment to supporting initiatives that uphold international law and advance diplomatic solutions to this protracted conflict. We stand ready to support all efforts that move us closer to this shared goal. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Somalia for the statement. I now give the floor to Bahrain.

Thank you, Chair. I thank the briefers for their briefings. We look forward for a constructive dialogue during this session. Sure. The Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms the need to abide by international law and international humanitarian law at all times and in all conflicts, especially when it comes to the protection of civilians. We also reaffirm the need for humanitarian assistance to be delivered rapidly and without any hindrance to all those in need, including those on the front lines, to meet the needs of citizens and of residents. without any discrimination. We warn against any expansion in the use of drones in armed conflicts, for their use could lead to an adverse impact on people's lives, human as well as civilian objects. The Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms the need to take every precaution to make sure that people are not affected by this conflict. We they must also abide by humanitarian, international humanitarian law to spare civilian objects and civilians. As this war continues and as its impact expands, we must take every we must make every effort to make -- to put an end to the suffering. The Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms that it supports a settlement for the crisis in Ukraine through peaceful means. We commend the efforts of the United States in this regard. The Kingdom also reaffirms the need to provide humanitarian treatment to all prisoners of war pursuant to international humanitarian law, especially the Third Vienna Convention. We call for further efforts and humanitarian initiatives to facilitate the exchange of prisoners and to make sure that families that are impacted by the conflict are reunited. We also commend the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar in this regard. In conclusion, we reaffirm our position to give primacy to dialogue and negotiations as the best way to reach a permanent solution to the war in Ukraine in order to strengthen security and safety in Europe. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Bahrain for the statement.

I now give the floor to Denmark.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As Denmark has stated many times during its term in the Council, we condemn all violations of international humanitarian law and call for accountability without exception. However, this afternoon I am reminded of the classic children's novel called "Through the Looking Glass", in which the main character, Alice, climbs through a mirror on the wall and enters a fantastical world. But rather than allies, our guides today were Russians and commentators of Russian media, arguing that false claims are truths, that the aggressor is the victim, and that a democratically elected government must be overthrown to protect human rights. Denmark will not dignify every distortion and denial of reality with a rebuttal. But as today is supposed to be about international law, including human rights law and international humanitarian law, Let us recall a few facts. With regard to the situation in Olesky, a Ukrainian city that Russia temporarily and illegally occupies, the humanitarian suffering caused there is indeed appalling. After four and a half years of Russian occupation, a once thriving city on the banks of the Dnipro has almost emptied. Russian actions have left an estimated 2,000 desperate civilians, including children and the elderly, in severe isolation, with basic services, food deliveries, and access to medical care severely disrupted. And the situation in Lisky is unfortunately far from unique, with similar humanitarian suffering in other parts of the temporarily occupied territories. Indeed, the contrast between this reality and the Kremlin's narrative could not be starker. A fantasy in which the so-called special military operation liberates Russian speakers who are supposedly living in mortal fear of a neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv. Denmark recalls that, as the occupying power, Russia has obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the basic needs of the population, including the provision of adequate food, medical services, and essential supplies in the temporarily occupied territories including Oleshky, to treat the population humanely and protect them against violence or threats of violence. The Ukrainians trapped in Oleshky have a right to leave, which must be respected in accordance with IHL. We call on Russia to allow and facilitate immediate and unfettered humanitarian access to Oleshky and the rest of the temporarily occupied territories. With regard to the overall situation in Ukraine, It is an indisputable fact that Russia invaded in 2014 and again in 2022 in breach of fundamental rules of international law. That Russia is waging a war of aggression. A failed attempt to illegally change internationally recognized borders by force. It is also a fact that UN bodies and international courts are documenting systematic violation of international law committed by Russia's armed forces. including war crimes and crimes against humanity. Crimes so grave that international arrest warrants have been issued for President Putin and his former Minister of Defense, among others. By contrast, the government of Ukraine has exercised its inherent right to defend its people and territory in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. If Russia is truly interested in, quote, "piercing the blind spots," unquote, of violations of international law, It might start with the realization that its invasion and occupation of Ukrainian territory continues to be a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, and that Ukraine, as any other sovereign state, has a right to defend itself against Russian aggression. If Russia had the least interest in peace, it would by now have accepted the repeated offers by Ukraine of an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. This is the indispensable first step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter, as repeatedly called for by the UN General Assembly. This afternoon's meeting has been a charade, yet another waste of the Council's precious time and the UN Secretariat's limited resources. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Denmark for their statement. I now give the floor to Latvia.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This meeting is not about prisoners of war, nor is it about civilians in the occupied territories. This is yet another attempt to deflect from Russia's own grave violations of international law and to roll out a direct attack to the United Nations system and verified information. Russia knows all too well that the UN can verify casualties and violations of international humanitarian law in Ukraine's controlled territories because the government of Ukraine provides full and unimpeded access to the United Nations system and international monitors. This is exactly why Russia denies regular, safe, and direct access to the occupied territories of Ukraine and to Russia itself. ICRC has no access to the Russian detention facilities where Ukrainian prisoners of war are systematically tortured. Russia entirely blocks UN humanitarian agencies from delivering aid directly across the front lines. This also applies to Oleshky. Latvia raised the issue of Russia's humanitarian blockade of Oleshky already on the 19th of May. Instead of rectifying this situation, Russia has now convened this meeting to shift the blame. Latvia has called on Russia to provide access to the UN system and international monitors 11 times in the meetings on Ukraine alone. Latvia reiterates this call, like many other countries, Council members have done so previously and today as well. Same as we reiterate the call for a ceasefire. Colleagues, the Russian method of deflection is well known. This meeting has been such an example. And the international law violations are well known. Some examples. For four consecutive years, Russia has been listed in the UN Secretary General's report on children in armed conflict. For the first time, Russia is now also listed on the UN Secretary General's latest report on conflict related sexual violence. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against the President of Russia and the Children's Rights Commissioner. European Court of Human Rights has numerous interstate and individual rulings on Russia and thousands of cases still pending before the court. Amnesty International has done extensive research on Russia's recruitment of foreign nationals to fight in Ukraine, calling it human trafficking. I could go on. And to add, it is ironic that Russia claims to care about human rights and liberties of their own population. It cares so deeply that numerous human rights organizations have been labeled as undesirable or extremist, and countless human rights activists are imprisoned on political grounds. There has been no meaningful engagement and no correction of action on all of this. Dear colleagues, Latvia would very much welcome a fact-finding visit by the Security Council members to Ukraine. It would be an excellent opportunity to see the situation first hand and talk to the Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine's captivity. Yet, the very idea for Russia and the Council, for the Council to see this reality on the ground is too much. One thing is clear. Meetings like this show that even Russia itself realizes that its aggression against Ukraine has tarnished its reputation beyond repair. Russia's international humanitarian law and international human rights violations cannot be hidden. Saying lies out loud several times will not make them true. Provide access to establish the facts. Thank

you.

I thank the representative of Latvia for his statement. I now give the floor to the United Kingdom.

Mr. Chair, the United Kingdom takes every allegation of a violation of international law seriously, whoever is responsible. That is why we fully support the independent and impartial work of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The reporting of these international bodies follows a rigorous methodology and are based on verified evidence and document violations by all parties to the conflict. Ukraine has engaged with these mechanisms and granted them access. Russia has not. If Russia were truly concerned about blind spots, it could grant human rights monitors full, unimpeded access to the territory of Ukraine that it temporarily controls. This should include Oleshky, where around 2,000 civilians are trapped without access to essential services. It should include every prisoner of war and civilian detainee it holds who are reportedly subject to systematic torture. It should also include Olenivka, where the UN reported that Russia impeded independent efforts to establish the facts about the explosions at the prison that killed 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war and injured 150 more. The Geneva Conventions are clear that civilians in occupied territory and prisoners of war must be protected, including through respect for applicable humanitarian access obligations. We should all be honest about context. The humanitarian suffering in places like Oleshky has one root cause: Russia's illegal full-scale invasion of a sovereign neighbour. Russia cannot launch a war of aggression and then present itself as the guardian of international law. The UK will continue to support accountability for all violations through credible, independent, and impartial processes, not through disinformation designed to sow doubt and confusion. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United Kingdom for her statement. I now give the floor to Colombia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colombia has followed with deep concern the humanitarian consequences of the protracted conflict in Ukraine, particularly the suffering of the civilian population, the destruction of essential infrastructure, and the difficulties faced by communities affected by the hostilities. Less than a week ago, the Security Council was convened for an emergency session to hear reports from the United Nations on the ground and the dramatic figures regarding the impact on civilians in several regions. International humanitarian law establishes obligations that must be respected by all parties to an armed conflict without exception. The protection of the civilian population is a fundamental obligation that cannot be subordinated to political considerations or military calculations. Colombia also recalls the obligation to respect and protect humanitarian personnel, their facilities and means of transport in accordance with international humanitarian law. Attacks directed against those providing humanitarian assistance are unacceptable and undermine the ability to respond to the needs of affected populations on both sides. We are particularly concerned about the communities that remain isolated. They have difficulties in accessing water, medicines and other essential goods. We reiterate the importance of guaranteeing rapid, unhindered humanitarian access in accordance with applicable international law. Colombia also reaffirms the absolute prohibition of torture and cruel and inhumane treatment. All Prisoners of war must receive humane treatment in accordance with the Third Geneva Convention, and credible allegations of violations must be examined through independent, rigorous, and impartial procedures. In this regard, Colombia recognizes and values the work of international monitoring and documentation mechanisms, particularly the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. whose reports have contributed to documenting violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, including allegations related to the treatment of prisoners of war by both parties. We consider it essential to preserve the independence, impartiality and methodological rigour of these mechanisms, as well as to ensure that all credible allegations are examined objectively, without being dismissed because of their source or for political reasons. The credibility of these efforts depends precisely on their conclusions being based on verifiable information, consistent methodological criteria and a rigorous assessment of the facts. Accountability must be grounded in evidence and in individually determined responsibilities, without political distinctions. The continuation of hostilities continues to aggravate human suffering and increases risks to international peace and security. Colombia reiterates its call for an immediate and complete ceasefire and for the strengthening of diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a political and negotiated solution in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We also reiterate, as we have previously emphasized before the Council, our commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, including respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of states, as well as to the full observance of international humanitarian law. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Colombia for his statement. I now give the floor to Greece.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This meeting takes place in the midst of renewed large-scale attacks against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, probably as we speak, with a rising casualty toll. I think almost everyone in this room would agree that the focus should now be on the cessation of hostilities, the resumption of diplomacy, rather than attempts by Russia to distract attention from or absolve itself of its responsibilities. I would like to make three points. First. The devastating effects of Russia's war of aggression on Ukrainian civilians have been well documented by credible international entities and mechanisms. International humanitarian law prohibits deliberate attacks against civilians and civilian objects, and regulates warfare through respect of the principles of distinction, proportionality, precaution, and military necessity. Russia has repeatedly declared a systematic campaign against Ukrainian cities. An increase of attacks against civilian infrastructure through the use of long-range explosive weapons, glide bombs and drones in populated areas can only mean more casualties. The recent attacks against public buses in Kramatorsk and residential buildings in Pryluky and Zaporizhzhia are still fresh in our minds. Widespread and systematic violations of human rights against residents of the temporarily occupied territories and Ukrainian prisoners of war are also well documented, including lately the increased use of sexual violence. Second, the obligations of an occupying power and international humanitarian law are clear. It has a duty to ensure that the local population receives sufficient food, medical care, and other essential goods and services without discrimination. It is equally responsible for allowing and actively facilitating rapid, unhindered, and safe passage of humanitarian aid, including by accepting relevant requests by humanitarian actors. All these also apply to Oleshky, a city already heavily damaged by the explosion of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023. As the ESHIARI in other line last Friday, a local ceasefire is urgently needed to enable civilians to safely leave Oleshky and to ensure unimpeded delivery of life-saving assistance. Ukraine has proposed a local ceasefire and evacuation routes for residents. We urge Russia to accept the offer. Third. Greece has long advocated that every allegation of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law must be independently and impartially investigated, and accountability must be ensured for all those responsible. We therefore once again call on Russia to cooperate with the relevant UN institutions, such as the OHCHR, and other international mechanisms mandated to establish facts and report accordingly, and to facilitate their access to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and to the Russian territories affected by hostilities. Lastly, Mr. Chair, we underline once more that while the time for accountability will come, the urgent priority now is what the international community has long demanded: the silencing of the guns through an immediate ceasefire. This will make it possible to save lives and finally focus on dialogue, diplomacy, and the pursuit of a just and lasting peace, firmly based on international law and the UN Charter. I thank you.

Yeah.

I thank the representative of Greece for the statement. I now give the floor to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo welcomes this informal RE meeting initiated by the Russian Federation and which emphasizes the need to better understand diverse violations by ISIL and human rights law in the context of the crisis in Ukraine. My delegation recalls that international humanitarian law and international human rights law applies to all parties during an armed conflict without any selectivity. No violation can be justified by either side. And in this spirit, the issue of blind spots is something that's worth special attention because it refers us to violations themselves and to the difficulties in documenting them, considering them, and ensuring an appropriate response when it comes to the suffering of victims. Mr. Chair. The crisis in Ukraine underscores the need to ensure effective, consistent and non-selective implementation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The blind spots do not result simply from lack of information. They also have to do with the difficulty access to the territory in question, under documentation of some categories of victims and fragmentation of responsibility mechanisms and the gap between international laws and their implementation. And this calls for a very careful approach to all of the humanitarian situations, including those which, because of the local circumstances, remain poorly documented. Therefore, the concerns having to do with the civilian populations in the certain areas on the front line is something that is worthy of taking into account the difficulty of access to water, electricity, medicines and other basic needs, and the risks that people can be exposed when they are traveling underscores the need of preserving the conditions that they need for their survival and provision of humanitarian assistance. The crisis in Ukraine also underscores the essential issue of the status of the prisoners of war and the treatment of those who are detained under international humanitarian law. The concerns which were expressed having to do with the conditions of detention and the poor treatment meted out to captured servicemen also means that attention needs to be paid to verifiable elements.

Whilst respecting the guarantees under international law.

The first blind spot has to do low visibility of violations. What happens in detention areas, areas difficulty to access are sometimes more difficult to document and difficulties of access independent of this and the risks for witnesses and preserving evidence can make it difficult to keep our facts. So documentation efforts have to take this into account and documentation has to be examined impartially, whatever the identity of victims or the presumed perpetrators.

The second.

Blind spot has to do with the gap between the documentation of violations and the establishing responsibility, collecting evidence. and legal rules are necessary, but this does not guarantee that responsibility will be established and victims will have access to justice. Coordination between the proper mechanisms for witness protection, safeguarding evidence, remain therefore essential to strengthen the credibility of the process of establishing responsibility. Furthermore, the indirect consequences of hostilities should not be overlooked. The damage to energy infrastructure, water supply systems, healthcare systems, education system can impact in a lasting way the life of civilians. And this has to remain a priority for all parties to the conflict, preserving them. And here we would like to voice three recommendations. First, the strength, the independent mechanism for documentation, pay special attention to those who are detained, children displaced, and victims who live in areas difficult to access. Second, improve coordination between the humanitarian mechanism human rights protection bodies, and the competent jurisdictions, while ensuring that investigations are independent. Three, place victims at the heart of legal response, making sure they can have access to justice and necessary assistance. To conclude, I would like to say that the DRC.

Affirms that the credibility of international law rests on its consistent application in a universal fashion without selectivity.

It's through an impartial approach, dialogue, and the respect for international commitments that we will be able to better protect civilians and strengthen trust in international mechanisms. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the DRC for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of France.

Chair, the contrast between this meeting here in New York, where Russia claims to be concerned about compliance with international humanitarian law, and the reality on the ground in Ukraine is striking. Indeed, it's indecent. Russia continues its massive and ongoing attacks against Ukrainian cities, foremost amongst them Kyiv, while facing military setbacks. Russia makes no secret of its desire to provoke a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine this winter by targeting power plants, heating networks, pharmaceutical warehouses and water systems. One of Kyiv's main power stations was struck yesterday by a Russian ballistic missile. In this context, France reaffirms its unwavering support for President Trump's call for a genuine energy ceasefire, to which Ukraine has already agreed for several months now. France reiterates the call of the President of the Republic for a dual ceasefire covering both energy infrastructure but also the Black Sea in order to put an end to Russian attacks that affect global food security. We deplore this latest attempt by Russia to divert the Security Council's attention by reversing responsibilities. Its objective is, and I quote from the concept note, to remedy the distorted image of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights that fuels the crisis in Ukraine. Is it necessary to recall that Ukraine allows the competent United Nations bodies free access to the territory it controls, unlike Russia? Is it necessary to recall that the ICRC has access to Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine, but not to Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia, who are moreover victims of undocumented and systematic torture and ill-treatment? Is it still necessary to recall that Vladimir Putin is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the ICC for the war crime of the unlawful transfer and deportation of populations, specifically Ukrainian children, from territories occupied by Russia? Finally, in response to the urgent humanitarian situation in Oleshky, about which Russia pretends to be concerned, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs proposed a localised ceasefire last Friday to allow the evacuation of civilians. The Ukrainian Parliament's Commissioner for Human Rights recalled that Ukraine, for its part, was prepared to guarantee safe corridors and a ceasefire. Is Russia prepared to do the same? Chair. Together with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the vast majority of Member States, including Ukraine, we call for an unconditional, comprehensive and immediate ceasefire along the front line. It is high time that Russia heed these calls, put an end to its irresponsible escalation and engage seriously on the path of negotiations. Thank you.

I thank the representative of France for his statement. I now give the floor to Liberia.

Thank you, Chair. And we thank the briefers. Liberia's experience of conflict has taught us how deeply suffering wounds communities and how long those wounds endure when violations go unaddressed, especially when not objectively and impartially revealed. We approach this discussion with a clear conviction. Every victim deserves to be heard. Every serious allegation deserves impartial examination. And every person entitled to protection under international law, especially prisoners of war, must receive it. Humanitarian support and assistance must reach all those trapped by war and in need. We take seriously the concerns presented regarding Russian civilians, prisoners of war, and allegations of torture, unlawful detention, and other abuses. We remain equally concerned about the suffering of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. A victim's nationality cannot determine the value we place on their life and dignity. Credible evidence, independent monitoring, and impartial investigation are essential to establishing facts and securing accountability. We urge cooperation, therefore, with the relevant independent international mechanisms to ensure that that comes to happen. Mr. Chair, Liberia calls on all parties to comply with applicable international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and to exercise restraint. Prisoners of war must be treated humanely. Torture is prohibited without exception. Civilians must be protected from unlawful attacks on either side of every front line. We call for unimpeded ICRC access to prisoners of war and protected civilian detainees consistent with the Geneva Conventions. Prisoner exchanges, the release of unlawfully detained civilians, information on missing persons, and safe humanitarian access can relieve suffering now. Families should not have to wait for peace before receiving news of their loved ones. Our concern also extends to civilian seafarers whose lives are endangered by conflict. Their protection deserves sustained attention. Liberia reaffirms the UN Charter and the peaceful settlement of disputes. We urge renewed diplomacy toward a ceasefire and a just and lasting peace consistent with the Charter. Humanitarian cooperation can preserve communication and build confidence even amid profound political differences. War is mutually destructive. Peace is mutually constructive. But even in war, no victim should be invisible. No violation should be excused. No opportunity to relieve suffering should be wasted. Let that be our common ground toward bringing an end to this war. And I thank you, Chair.

I thank the Ambassador of Liberia for his statement.

This is the end.

Of the list of speakers amongst the members of Security Council.

Does anyone else wish to take the floor?

Otherwise, this is the end of speakers.

And before we conclude, I would like to ask our briefers whether or not they would like.

To comment on something at the end of our meeting. Mr. Johnson, would you like to comment? Mr. Mirosnik, please.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much.

For the words of thanks, for the briefing, the story, and of course for your attention you pay to the facts that I described.

Let me just point out some points that I would like to draw your attention to, and perhaps I will try to base this on my previous experience.

The line of contact over the past three years is something that I visited at least 40 times.

And I did, unlike many of you, visited Oleshky, and I do know exactly what is happening there. Therefore, the certitude on the part of some of the colleagues that they know better than me what is happening there and who is bombing the city, well, please allow me to be a little doubtful of that. Don't you think that the situation under which a side which for three years is bombing and shelling a town and compelled thousands of people to leave the town, and they only left?

Because they were being shelled every day, and very few people are ready to continue living there with.

Everyday strikes, and that's the reason they had left. Isn't it strange that this side, which blocked two main ways of supplying the town, is an appeal for these people to be saved, whilst knowing that Russian nationals live there, they all have Russian passports. People there receive Russian pension, they are under the Russian social protection system. When you call for humanitarian corridors, well, I showed you the reel which showed you what attempts of a humanitarian convoy looks like, trying to go to Alushka. They are not armed, but they are being struck all the time. And there are tens of such convoys.

The Ukrainian side destroyed at least 15 ambulances. Therefore, on these issues, I do understand that I will not get.

Your recognition or agreement from the parties which put questions to me, but I am simply appealing.

For you to attempt and assess the situation, assess the reality, and step away somewhat from the old and trite narratives, which are more like slogans. I am not asking you to admit anything, but please think about what is happening there in reality. When we are talking about the possibility of monitoring and we base ourselves on the figures we've heard in this room, well, many of the figures of the OHCHR were prepared by the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. I know that you as professionals know very well This is a strange entity, was created under a bilateral agreement between OHCHR and the government of Ukraine. It has nothing to do with the government of Russia or any other state. It is funded not through the UN funding, but foreign grants. The expert group is located in Kyiv. So, when we're basing ourselves on those figures and saying that these figures are the gospel truth, what I would recommend that you refrain from doing that. Literally, several days ago, we were discussing within OHCHR a representative mechanism for their data collection. Our initiative was this high time for the mechanism of data collection to which we're referring to and saying that is a well-known mechanism. Well, it's not a well-known mechanism, it does not exist. It's not enshrined in any document. It's just been outsourced to individual NGOs, which are located mainly in Ukraine. And when such an organization then issues a report, which out of 10 crimes, 9 are ascribed to Russian forces, well, it's not really strange because these people are sitting in Kyiv and they look at the situation from Kyiv. And some of them have just been hired by Ukraine. And viewing this entity as an independent one is very, very odd, very strange, as strange as the fact that their documents have the signature of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. These are the kinds of things that need to be looked at more carefully, more than just voicing slogans. Behind each and every situation like that, there are specific people, people who were impacted, injured in a very difficult situation, who in Aloska, for example, do not have water, medicines, the possibility to be evacuated. So the concern about them looks very cynical when you bomb the city every day and then say that we are so concerned for them that we're running out of drones with which they're being struck. And Oleshky is just one town that is being talked about. And along the line of contact on the banks of the Dnieper or the Kakhovsky, Water Lake. There are other towns where Ukraine is trying out their technology of drone blockade, in other words, blocking the roads which are providing supplies to these towns. It was not by coincidence that I showed you the road in Novorossiya, to show you what a road looks like. You saw the road with burnt out cars, with foodstuffs in them, medicines.

Close, etc.

What do you end up with? A medieval style blockade, which is created using modern technology. This is a medieval approach, which unfortunately Ukraine is demonstrating today. And when you refer to the events, the escalation, well, I have been talking to you about this for the 30 minutes, the length of my briefing. Since April of this year, through strange coincidence, once Ukraine received 900 billion euros, a confirmation of the credits to them, then the shelling of civilians went up by fourfold. In May and June, the number of strikes increased. And, um, Ukraine received a greater number of drones to use against hospitals, houses, and transport. And we have proof of that. There is evidence of that in videos and photos. personal testimony. If you don't want to hear that or listen to that or see it, well, this is a different matter. You simply do not want to take in the information we're giving you. And we are listing names. Could you please also recall the names of Starobeltsk, of Kirillovka, Archipovo-Osivka, where tens of people were killed. And you can see them on the ground. They're covered in blood. The blood is on the Ukrainian side. These were deliberate strikes just to kill people, just to sow terror, just to create conditions which are impossible for life. And I can provide tens more place names for you, including those places that I personally visited, where I have spoken to people. I held the hand of the mother whose daughter died in Starobilsk. And if I were to convey the message from this room where people are saying that there were no children, there were students, that drones were being put together there, well, it's impossible to say these to people that I had met. To the mother whose daughter was killed because the student dormitory had been struck. We work with those organizations which are impartial, proven to be impartial, and use transparent criteria. Starbuck had a monitoring mission from the International Committee of the Red Cross, and they drew their own conclusions. But they're not making political statements out of that. Their conclusions are provided in a closed format. So I would refrain from the narratives which are not reliable and based on disinformation. In any event, I think that the dialogue today enabled us to sow the seed of doubt. I think it's constructive and ultimately will help save lives of civilians and also to help settle the conflict. Thank you very much for your questions and participation.

Thank you very much, Rodion Valerievich. I also would like to believe that our discussion planted a seed of doubt, but my years-long experience of participating in such meetings, unfortunately, does not allow me to be as optimistic, because the discussion today has clearly demonstrated today how painful and uncomfortable the topic of crimes committed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine still remains. And the reason for that is very simple. It destroys a carefully constructed illusion and exposes the bitter truth about how human tragedies are cynically being turned into an instrument of political manipulations and have been from the very beginning of the crisis, which was externally inspired. We had reference to international humanitarian law here today, and some of you said the military crimes by Kyiv could be justified by the right to self-defense. I'm not going to dwell on whether or not there's a self-defense, but let me simply recall here that upholding international humanitarian law does not depend on who is attacking, who is defending. It's a universal instrument which needs to be respected by all sides. It is impossible to seriously discuss the settlement, the resolution of the crisis with countries that do not recognize the obvious. Kyiv is terrorizing the civilian population, and Alyosha is just one of such examples. It's also terrorizing civilian population deep inside Russia and in systematically conducting the policy, which is not very well known. because it's being covered up in silence, because there's a called independent commissions on human rights in Ukraine that Rodyo and Valeriy, which referred to, very conveniently provide the information, appropriate information to OHCHR. And we understand that without denying these facts and discriminately denigrating Russia, it would have been impossible to continue pushing through opportunistic decisions for the sake of the military industrial circles of the countries that provide weapons to Ukraine. And therefore, this campaign, this disinformation campaign continues. This destructive activity, unfortunately, also brought into its ambit the United Nations, which, through its supposedly independent reports adds to the demonization of Russia. This closes a vicious circle of silence, mutual cover-up and complete immunity, which only unties the hands of the Ukrainian crackdown squads for their flagrant violations of international law. But no matter how much they try to obscure the truth with a wall of silence, the tragedy in Oreshky, the secret torture chambers of the regime and the suffering of innocent people will not disappear from the fact that they prefer not to know know about them in high offices. And we will continue to consistently strive to ensure that the true, undistorted picture on what is happening becomes available to the entire international community. And justice and responsibility for what has been done will inevitably be meted out to those who commit these crimes and those who cover them up.

I thank you for participation in the meeting today.