Ukraine - Security Council, 10237th meeting

The 10,237th meeting of the Security Council is called to order. The provisional agenda for this meeting is: Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine. The agenda is adopted. In accordance with rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Estonia, Germany, Norway, Poland and Ukraine to participate in the meeting. It is so decided. In accordance with Rule 39 of the Council's Provisional Rules of Procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Khaled Ghiari, Assistant Secretary-General, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations; and Ms. Jen McConnell, Director, Crisis Response Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. It is so decided. In accordance with Rule 39 of the Council's Provisional Rules of Procedure, I also invite His Excellency, Mr. Stavros Labrinidis, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, to participate in this meeting. It is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of item 2 of the agenda. I now give the floor to Mr. Khaled Khari.

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 front-line 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 Priluki 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 stocking 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 logistic companies have surged to alarming levels. In Kyiv, the Russian Federation targeted key bridges across the Dnipro River for four consecutive days, from 1st to 4th 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 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 centers 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 other injured in the Moscow region. Residential buildings and vehicles were reportedly damaged in several municipalities. From January to September 2026, OSCHR 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 Ukrainian ports, transport, grain, and other agricultural infrastructure continues to drive up global food prices. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, in September, wheat prices rose by 6.3%, reaching their highest level since August 2023. The United Nations welcome 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 remain 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 stop, 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 engagement, diplomatic engagements should be stepped up and led 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 stand ready to support all meaningful efforts to that end. Thank you.

I thank Mr. Kari for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Gemma Connell.

Madam President, Excellencies, The past 48 hours have brought more death and destruction across Ukraine. Attacks have struck residential areas, public transport and civilian infrastructure across multiple regions. In the city of Pridutky, residential buildings were hit, killing families, including children. In Kyiv and Kremenchuk, homes and apartment buildings were damaged, while further attacks in Kyiv disrupted electricity and water supplies. and in Kramatorsk, public buses were hit, killing and injuring civilians. Each attack brings more suffering. Each attack places greater strain on the services civilians depend on. Madam President, as winter approaches, repeated attacks on essential infrastructure threaten to turn an already dire situation into something far worse. Scheduled and emergency power cuts due to attacks on energy infrastructure have already returned, including in Kyiv. As temperatures fall, damage to electricity, heating and water systems will have consequences far beyond the moment of impact. Local authorities and humanitarian partners are working to restore power and provide generators, materials, cash, and emergency assistance, but repeated destruction is making it harder to restore essential services before the next attack. Preparedness must therefore do two things at once. Keep essential services functioning so people can remain safely in their communities while ensuring that those who choose to leave can do so safely and voluntarily before conditions become critical. Winter preparedness cannot wait for winter. Our $358 million winter response plan aims to support more than 2 million of the most vulnerable people with heating, shelter, food, health care, cash, and other essential assistance. But it only works if resources arrive in time to preposition supplies, repair homes and heating systems, and help communities withstand the cold before the next disruption becomes a crisis. Ultimately, no preparedness, amount of preparedness can substitute for protecting the infrastructure civilians depend upon in the first place. Madam President, for some communities, the options are already painfully limited. Oleshky is one stark example of a wider reality facing civilians in territories of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation. Civilians near front lines controlled by the Government of Ukraine also face similar severe constraints on movement and access to essential services. Many remain amid severe insecurity, shortages of food, and limited access to medical care. Drone attacks, mines, and continuing hostilities make movement, evacuation, and the delivery of basic services extremely dangerous. OCHA has proposed practical solutions to reach these communities. Humanitarian needs have not diminished. The urgency has increased. The parties must agree on practical arrangements for safe and voluntary evacuations and for humanitarian assistance to reach civilians safely and impartially wherever they are. OCHA remains ready to support that engagement. Madam President, humanitarian access is not abstract. It depends on humanitarian workers being able to reach people when needs are greatest. Yesterday, an interagency convoy reached Berislav in Kherson region, where more than 300 civilians remain and access is severely constrained. UN, Red Cross and NGO partners delivered food, medicines and hygiene supplies. That is what staying and delivering looks like in practice. Aid workers remain committed to reaching communities close to active hostilities, despite drones, despite shelling, despite mines, and despite unsafe roads. But their courage cannot, and I repeat, cannot, become a substitute for their protection. International humanitarian law is clear. Humanitarian personnel must be respected and protected, and parties must allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of impartial humanitarian relief for civilians in need. When humanitarian workers are attacked and when aid movements become too dangerous to deliver aid, civilians pay the price through delayed assistance, fewer evacuation options, and growing isolation. Madam President, the way wars are fought is changing. The long-standing rules protecting civilians continue to apply. Drones and other technologies may alter how attacks are conducted. They do not alter the obligations of the parties to protect civilians and civilian objects, including essential infrastructure on which people depend. All feasible precautions must be taken to avoid and minimize civilian harm. Humanitarian personnel and operations must be respected and protected. Civilian harm is also being reported in the Russian Federation, including damage to infrastructure. These obligations apply to all parties. Wherever military operations take place, the obligations remain the same. Madam President, we must not confuse the ability to adapt with the ability to endure indefinitely. Aid agencies can change routes. Local authorities can repair infrastructure. Families can ration electricity, move children underground, or decide to leave. But adaptation has limits. This winter will test more than infrastructure. It will test whether essential civilian systems can continue to function under repeated attack as Ukraine enters a fifth winter of full-scale war. A family should not have to choose between remaining without heat or water and abandoning its home. An older person should not be stranded because the road is too dangerous. A humanitarian worker should not have to rely on courage to compensate for the absence of protection. The purpose of humanitarian action is to preserve options for civilians, not to normalize ever narrower ones. Madam President, three things are needed now. First, the parties must protect civilians and the infrastructure on which they depend. International humanitarian law applies, whatever the weapon. Second, we call on the parties to agree on practical arrangements to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians everywhere and enable safe and voluntary evacuations wherever needed. Third, humanitarian personnel must be respected and protected. And when incidents occur, there must be a credible investigation and accountability. Thank you.

I thank Ms. Connell for her briefing. I now give the floor to those Council members who wish to make statements. I give the floor to the representative of Latvia.

Thank you, Madam President. and I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khalid Khari and OCHA Director O'Connell for their briefings. Latvia supported Ukraine's call for meeting of this Council in response to Russia's relentless attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. Over the last days, in Pryluky, Chernihiv Oblast, a Russian missile strike destroyed a residential building while people were sleeping, killing at least 22 civilians and injuring over 50, including little children. In Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, a Russian glide bomb hit a bus station, killing over 30 civilian bus passengers and injuring at least 18. There were many more attacks in Kyiv and across Ukraine, many more civilian casualties. Over the last five days alone, Russia has murdered at least hundreds of Ukrainian civilians. As we heard from the briefers today, the body of evidence is horrific. Russia targets schools, Russia targets kindergartens, school buses, hospitals, shopping malls, residential buildings. Nothing is off limits in Russia's imperial campaign. As yet another winter of this war is approaching, Russia continues its systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure to make sure to leave millions of Ukrainians in the cold without heat, electricity, and water. And if there is no electricity, you can't access underground shelters. Ukrainian civilians in the temporarily occupied territories are suffering a dire humanitarian crisis. There are reports of people forced to eat grass, risking their lives, traveling on mined roads and facing Russia's human safari of attack drones, attacked when and because they are searching for food. Russia has expanded its aggression by increasing attacks on civilian merchant ships in the Black Sea this week alone. Two Turkey-owned ships full with Ukrainian grain were attacked, with international sailors, including from India, Turkey, Azerbaijan, on board. The world is feeling the consequences of Russian aggression. Vital grain exports are disrupted. Food security is undermined. Food prices are on the rise. All because of one member present at this table. Russia has yet again issued open threats to the diplomatic missions in Kyiv. Such threats are unacceptable, and we will not be intimidated. Latvian diplomats will continue their work in Kyiv, EU embassies will remain in Kyiv, and our support for Ukraine will not waver. Madam President, with every war crime, with every atrocity, with every passing day of torture, killing, repression, we see this war for what it is. This war is not about protecting Russian speakers in Donetsk or Luhansk. In fact, Russia has killed and displaced thousands of them. This is not a humanitarian mission, as the Kremlin has tried to frame it. In fact, Russia has shattered international humanitarian law and created a humanitarian catastrophe, leaving thousands without access to food and medicine in the occupied territories. This is an unsuccessful attempt of imperial subjugation, one that is doomed to remain unsuccessful because of heroic Ukrainians. Madam President, Latvia calls on every UN member state to step up, provide maximum energy, medicine, humanitarian financial assistance to Ukraine to help Ukraine survive this winter, to stop the senseless killing. And we implore every member of this Council to increase pressure on Russia to stop the war on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Latvia demands that Russia stops all attacks against energy and food infrastructure. And Latvia continues to call for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Latvia for the statement. I now call the representative of France.

Thank you, Madam President. I thank Mr. Khaled Khayri, Assistant Secretary-General, and Ms. Gemma Connell, Director at OCHA, for coordination for their briefings. The Council is meeting as Russia takes yet another step in its bloody escalation against Ukrainian civilians. And the toll is indeed heavy. 22 civilians, including five children, killed. during the attack on their building in Perekop in the Chernihiv region on October 7. 30 civilians were killed the following day in two buses in Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region. France pays tribute to their memory. Since Monday, Russian strikes have caused at least 85 civilian deaths and 346 injuries. France extends its condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those who were injured. It reaffirms on this occasion its unwavering solidarity with the Ukrainian people that have been subjected to aggression. Madam President, through its large scale and continuous attacks on Ukrainian cities, particularly Kyiv, Russia is cynically targeting the very conditions of the Ukrainian people's existence on their own land. Russia makes no secret of its intention to provoke a humanitarian catastrophe this winter. by targeting electricity generation and heating facilities, pharmaceutical warehouses, and water infrastructure. Furthermore, by attacking telecommunications and transport infrastructure, Russia seeks not only to subject Ukrainians to cold and darkness, but also to cut them off from the world and to isolate them. The new threats made by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs against diplomatic missions and foreign nationals in Ukraine, which form part of this policy, are unacceptable. And we recall that Russia is required to comply with its obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Madam President. Far beyond the European continent, this war of aggression launched by Russia affects the entire world. The food security of many countries and of millions of people is being jeopardized by Russia's relentless efforts to prevent Ukraine from exporting its grain, even at the cost of casualties among civilian seafarers in the Black Sea. The consequences are already being felt. According to the FAO, grain prices have increased by 5% between August and September. Wheat prices have risen above their August 2023 level, while corn prices are at their highest level in three years. Madam President, we do not accept this situation as inevitable. France and its partners will continue to support Ukraine in concrete ways in exercising its inherent right to self-defence. We will continue to support all initiatives aimed at protecting civilians and achieving a dual moratorium on attacks against energy infrastructure and strikes in the Black Sea. This is something that the President of the Republic called for from the podium of the General Assembly. Together with the Secretary General of the United Nations and the vast majority of member states, we demand an immediate, comprehensive, and unconditional ceasefire. We once again call on Russia to end its relentless campaign against Ukrainian civilians to pave the way for a general de-escalation and to engage in negotiations in good faith with Ukraine. France, together with its partners, will continue to work tirelessly for peace. I thank you.

The representative of France. And now I give the floor to the representative of Denmark.

Thank you, Madam President. Let me also thank ASD Chiari and Director Connell for their informative and important briefings. Madam President, our briefers have painted a grim picture. One of increasing humanitarian suffering for Ukrainians, of winter on the horizon, of ever-increasing waves of jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles raining down on Ukraine's cities and population. of a relentless onslaught in Russia's continued war of conquest. As we have heard, on 7 October, a Russian glide bomb hit two buses in Kramatorsk, with local authorities reporting over 30 civilians killed and 21 injured. Earlier that same day, a residential building in Preluhiy was struck, killing more than 20 of its residents, including five children, and injuring at least 50 civilians. Attacks on Ukrainian civilians have continued without respite every single day since the Council met last time in September. Attacks have hit kindergartens, schools, and maternity hospitals. When even the places where children learn and mothers give birth, or families seek refuge, are struck, the patterns cannot be ignored. The most basic boundaries of war between military and civilian life are violated over and over again. Denmark condemns all such attacks in the strongest terms and demands accountability for violations of international humanitarian law without exception. We also want to draw the international community's attention to the dire humanitarian situation in Oleshky, As the occupying power, Russia must ensure protection, adequate food, medical services and essential supplies. We call for immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access in Olosky and all other temporarily occupied territories. Madam President, The latest Russian tactics are designed with one goal in mind: to make civilian life in Ukraine, in particular in the cities, unbearable. Russian drones have struck two bridges in Kyiv in the middle of the day. We are also concerned by reports of Russian attacks on hydroelectric power plants and on the power lines connecting Ukraine's three nuclear power plants to the grid. It looks like Russia is hoping to cut the electricity, heating, and water that civilians need. In short, Russia is trying to freeze Ukrainians into submission, to cut their power, and even their access to basic needs such as water. Using winter as a weapon of war. This is simply cruel and it is illegal under international humanitarian law. Russia has also dramatically increased its attack on Ukraine's civilian ports and the ships used to transport its grain to the world, especially to developing countries. In recent days, drones have repeatedly struck commercial vessels in the inclusive economic zone of Romania and Bulgaria, including Turkish-owned ships carrying Ukrainian grain to global markets. All three such attacks killed or injured seafarers, and nine Syrian crew members remain missing. Denmark strongly condemns these attacks, which show all too clearly the global impact of this war. Madam President, During High-Level Week, there were fresh diplomatic talks for a double moratorium to end attacks by both sides on energy infrastructure and in the Black Sea. This could alleviate humanitarian suffering while increasing food security in the Global South. Denmark notes Ukraine's stated willingness to engage seriously on this proposal, and we call on Russia to do the same. Every Council member, except one, has called for a ceasefire. Every Council member, except one, has called for civilians to be protected from harm. Russia has heard these repeated calls. It is long past time that Russia heeds to them. In closing, we urge Russia to engage seriously in these proposals. In the meantime, however, with Russia's intent of increasing civilian suffering, the international community must increase its pressure. We call on all UN members to exercise the maximum leverage on Moscow to bring this senseless war to an end immediately. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you, Assistant Secretary-General Kiara and Director Kono. Two weeks ago, we heard presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers in the General Assembly and in this Chamber calling for de-escalation and an end to Russia's war against Ukraine. Today, the Security Council meets on Ukraine again, because Russia's attacks on Ukraine have intensified again. Yesterday, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was in Chernivtsi in Ukraine. He saw and described Russia's barbaric war of terror on the Ukrainian people. Yesterday, a Russian glide bomb killed at least 33 civilians traveling on a bus in Kramatorsk. On Wednesday, Russian air strikes killed at least 30 civilians, 22 including five children, when a cruise missile flattened a residential building in Chernihiv. And on Tuesday, two Ukrainian Red Cross workers were injured trying to support victims of a Russian attack in the Zaporizhzhia region. These are three days of the 1,688 days since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And I could go on. Russian strikes on Black Sea ports and merchant shipping threaten global food supplies. In central Kyiv this week, Russian drones have hit civilian bridges in broad daylight. And hundreds of drones and missiles strike Ukraine's electricity and heating infrastructure every day. Thousands of civilians are reported to be trapped within Russian-occupied Oleshky, short of food, water, and medical care, and without access to essential services. Even the Kremlin describes this situation as critical. Under international humanitarian law, an occupying power must ensure access to adequate food, medical supplies and healthcare. Where that is not the case, it must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief. Yet, as Ukrainians approach winter, the Russian Ministry of Defence posted on social media that Ukrainians would freeze this winter. In rejecting an energy ceasefire, The Kremlin called Ukrainian's energy system an Achilles heel. Directly targeting civilian infrastructure may constitute a war crime. The United Kingdom calls on Russia to follow her obligations under international law. Russia is not only destroying homes and infrastructure and lives. Nearly five years on from the initial invasion, Russia is seeking to make the unacceptable appear routine. But the frequency of Russia's attacks cannot be allowed to dull our sense of urgency. Russia could end this war tomorrow. Instead, Russia escalates her attacks. We should all respond accordingly, by taking measures that constrain Russia's ability to sustain this war. This week, the United Kingdom announced 38 new designations on those supplying Russia's military with critical goods. and by pressing Russia to accept an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. President Zelensky has made clear time and again Ukraine's willingness to accept a ceasefire. President Putin has refused a ceasefire and intensified attacks. These actions speak louder than any claims to want peace. As Foreign Secretary Miliband said yesterday in Kiev, the United Kingdom stands with the people of Ukraine. And until Russia chooses the path of peace, we will not relent on our support for Ukraine or for our values. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United Kingdom for the statement. And I now give the floor to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Madame President, I thank you for giving me the floor. The Democratic Republic of the Congo would like to thank the Greek Presidency for convening this emergency meeting that provides the Council a new occasion to examine alternatives to favor de-escalation, protecting civilian populations, and advancing the search for a sustainable political solution to the war. The briefings by the representative of the Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding, as well as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, shed further light on our review of these issues, and we thank them for their briefings. Madam President, recent developments show the persistence of a confrontation whose humanitarian and material consequences are particularly and continue to be particularly concerning. Multiplying airstrikes with drones and missiles, as well as the damages caused to basic civilian infrastructures, call for a greater vigilance on behalf of the international community and renewed efforts for de-escalation. Since we entered the Council in January of this year, my delegation has constantly underlined the importance of a fundamental principle to ensure the protection of civilian populations against the consequences of military operations under all circumstances. Once again, the Democratic Republic of the Congo reaffirms its commitment to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, such as the respect for the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of States, as well as the peaceful solution of conflicts. As the confrontation is prolonged, the possibilities of peacefully solving this crisis become more distant and the risk of an escalation whose consequences no one can really foresee increase. And this reality confirms a conviction that the DRC has consistently advocated for. Weapons can prolong a confrontation, but they cannot determine the outcome. The road towards a sustainable peace depends on dialogue, diplomacy, and a patient search for convergences that could bring the parties to a political solution that respects international law and the principles of the Charter. Madam President, these crises that seem to be here to stay and the prolongation of these wars in general lead to the same observations. long-term destruction that mostly affects civilian populations, and they suffer the most from these consequences. The DRC calls upon all the parties to strictly respect their obligations pursuant to IHL, especially the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution. We condemn attacks against the civilian population as well as civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate attacks, especially those that are carried out with drones or missiles. Schools and hospitals, as well as clinics and infrastructures that are indispensable for the survival of the population should be protected. This also applies to energy infrastructures. Their degradation or destruction as winter approaches could also cause very serious consequences for some of the most vulnerable segments of the population. The military activities registered close to nuclear facilities are an additional source of concern, given the consequences that an incident could cause way beyond the areas directly affected by the confrontation. The Democratic Republic of the Congo calls for the greatest level of restraint and for the respect of established safety mechanisms, and we reaffirm our support to the International Agency for Atomic Energy. Moreover, the possibility of the risks of the confrontation increasing, recall that all actors that have influence upon its evolution to act. It is important that this influence can also be used for de-escalation, to reproach positions, and also to seek a sustainable political solution. Madam President, given the persistence of this confrontation, It is urgent to de-escalate. The DRC renews its call for an immediate ceasefire that would create the necessary conditions to renew and consolidate a credible political process. Although it is not an end in and of itself, a ceasefire would open the necessary space for dialogue and to seek a political solution for some of the main issues that continue to feed the conflict. This step forward would mean that the parties would be able to address with a spirit of responsibility and compromise the security concerns that continue to be at the heart of their differences, respecting the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. This is why we encourage diplomatic efforts to continue and to keep open any and all channels available so that the parties may engage in a dialogue for the DRC. It is important to point out that we want this Council to contribute to preserving spaces of convergence, to prevent an additional escalation and to favor the return of diplomacy. We are, therefore, ready to support any credible initiative, on the basis of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, that could contribute to a cessation of hostilities as well as to the protection of the civilian population and to the opening of a true possibility of finding a political solution. To conclude, we would like to recall that there will be no sustainable peace if the population is exhausted This will only happen if there is dialogue, diplomacy, and if the parties have the will to find an outcome that is mutually acceptable. I thank you.

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

Madam President, we would like to thank Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific, Khaled Khayri, and the Director of the Crisis Response Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Gemma Connell, for their valuable contributions to speak about the situation on the ground. We would also like to recognize the presence of representatives of Ukraine, Norway, Estonia, Poland, Germany, and the European Union that honor us with their participation today. Session after session, 36 since last year, this Council has heard reports about new attacks and about a growing number of people killed or wounded. The persistence of the hostilities and its devastating humanitarian cost constitute a constant threat for international peace and security. and they can also cause new displacements and prevent the safe return of those that have already fled their homes. This conflict violates the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, on which the work of this Council is based upon. The repeated calls of this Council for a cessation of hostilities continues to fall on deaf ears. How far will this escalation go? What kind of goal can justify persistent attacks against the civilian population? No geopolitical, territorial, or military aspiration can possibly justify that civilians continue to pay the price for this conflict. Recently, we heard in this room that high-level authorities called for a ceasefire and renewed negotiations. Nevertheless, we continue to note attacks against transportation, residential buildings in cities, and highly populated areas. The recent attacks against the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine add to the serious damages caused to the country's scientific and cultural heritage. Panama deplores these attacks, and we reiterate that the civilian population and civilian objects should be respected and protected on the basis of international humanitarian law. The hostilities in the Black Sea, a strategic corridor for global grain trading, put maritime and food security at risk and heightened pressures on the global economy that is already reeling from the fuel price crisis. The intransigence in prolonging this conflict has consequences that go way beyond its borders and affect our societies and economies. As winter approaches, we are concerned that the threats and the persistent attacks expose the civilian population to facing the coldest months in conditions of extreme vulnerability. Madam President, it is urgent to put an end to the hostilities and make way for dialogue and negotiation. Panama supports all diplomatic efforts, including contacts between representatives of Ukraine and the United States, to push forward a ceasefire and create favorable conditions to renew direct negotiations between the parties pursuant to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. I thank you.

I thank the representative of

Thank you, Madam President.

We thank Assistant Secretary General Carey and OCHA Director Connell for their briefings. On 23 September, Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo warned this Council that we were entering a dangerous new phase in the war in Ukraine. Her warning underscore a sobering reality: the human cost of this conflict continues to rise, the risk of escalation is growing, and the consequences of miscalculation are becoming even more serious. That warning must serve as a call to redouble diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict and prevent further civilian suffering. Reports of mounting civilian casualties underscore the urgent need for renewed action to end hostilities and advance a peaceful resolution. Civilians must be protected at all times. Hospitals, schools, humanitarian personnel, and critical civilian infrastructure must be respected and protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. these obligations bind all parties to the conflict, without exception. International humanitarian law is unequivocal. Parties must distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objects. Indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks are prohibited, and all feasible precautions must be taken to avoid or minimize civilian harm. These are binding obligations, not a matter of choice. This Council cannot become more accustomed to documenting human suffering than to preventing it. Condemnation has its place, but it must be accompanied by action. Resolution 2573 reaffirmed the Council's demand that parties protect civilians and critical civilian infrastructure. Our words must therefore translate into concrete efforts to save lives, reduce violence, and create the conditions for peace. Liberia therefore calls for urgent action on two fronts. First, we must strengthen the protection of civilians by ending attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects, ensuring full compliance with international humanitarian law, and facilitating safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access to those in need. Second, we must intensify diplomatic efforts towards an immediate ceasefire and a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, including its principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of dispute. Madam President, The urgency of ending this war must be matched by the determination to pursue peace. Peace does not require agreement on every issue from the outset. It requires the willingness to stop the suffering, to protect innocent lives, and to create space for dialogue. When conflict enters a more dangerous phase, diplomacy must enter a more determined one. Liberia stands ready to support all credible efforts to end this war and to achieve a peaceful settlement in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. I thank you.

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

President, I thank A. Y. T. Kiari and Director Knel for their briefings. Recently, the situation in Ukraine has continued to intensify, with both sides carrying out large-scale attacks against each other, resulting in heavy casualties and extensive damage to infrastructure. Various new types of unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles are being deployed. Their growing deadliness and destructiveness drive the situation in an even more dangerous direction. The increasingly severe spillover effects of the crisis continue to undermine global energy and food security. The Ukraine crisis cannot be allowed to spiral out of control with further escalation. All relevant parties and the international community should jointly seek a political solution. I will make three points. First, commitment to the pursuit of peace. There are no winners in war, and conflict offers no future. We must give peace a chance. The pressing priority is to de-escalate the situation, prevent the conflict from spilling over beyond the battlefield, and avoid further escalation of hostilities. The parties to the conflict must strictly abide by the IHL and refrain from attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure under any circumstances, and avoid harming third-party civilians and civilian assets. This will lay the groundwork for a political solution to the crisis and foster hope for an early return to peace. Second, commitment to the advancement of peace talks. History has proven that no matter how large the conflict and how deep the division, ultimately the settlement is possible only through dialogue and negotiation. Lately, there have been some interactions and contacts between the parties, though the divergences in their positions remain significant. We hope that the parties concerned will continue to stay in contact, demonstrate political will, steadily build consensus, and work together to reach a comprehensive, lasting, and binding peace agreement. Third, commitment to the choice of reconciliation. Miscalculations should not be allowed to get out of hand, and hatred should not be allowed to fester. Harmonious coexistence between Russia and Ukraine is the only realistic option. It is also the shared expectation of the international community. We hope the parties involved will act in the fundamental and long-term interests of their nations, respect each other's legitimate security concerns, eliminate the root causes of the crisis on the basis of fully, completely, and comprehensively adhering to the principles of the UN Charter, promote the establishment of a balanced, effective, and sustainable regional security architecture, and truly achieve universal and common security. President, on the issue of Ukraine, China always maintains that the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of all countries should be respected; that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed; that the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously; and all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported. China will continue to take the "Four Shoots" proposed by President Xi Jinping as the fundamental guiding principle, and, along with the international community, make unrelenting efforts to bring about the dawn of peace as soon as possible and achieve a political solution to the crisis at the earliest opportunity. Thank you, President.

I thank the representative of China for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Thank you, Madam President. I thank A/C Khalid Khairi and Director from OCHA, Ms. Gemma Connell, for their briefings. reminding us all once again the absolute imperative of bringing the long-drawn Ukraine conflict to an early end. Regrettably, the dynamics of this conflict are rapidly changing, with escalation in fighting in the recent days and weeks. The reported attacks by both parties and the resulting loss of precious lives, damage to civilian infrastructure, energy facilities, transportation, and commercial vessels have risen sharply. We are profoundly alarmed by these developments. We have consistently cautioned against the potential expansion and spillover effects of this conflict. We are deeply concerned by the reports of attacks against commercial vessels in the Black Sea, resulting in loss of life and damage to the vessels. The intensification in fighting presently being witnessed does not portend well for the region and the wider neighbourhood. Such actions further strain the already fledgling global food and energy crisis, with repercussions felt far beyond the conflict zone, especially in the developing countries. The humanitarian consequences of this conflict are staggering. We again call upon both parties to desist from further expanding the conflict, de-escalate, scrupulously abide by international law and international humanitarian law obligations, and recommit to dialogue to bring an early end to this conflict. President, the pursuit of military solutions will not lead to lasting and durable peace. On the contrary, it risks further escalation, deepening divisions, prolonging suffering of those affected, and diminishing the prospects of sustainable peace. Diplomacy and dialogue, therefore, remains the best course. We value the efforts by the United States and its leadership to bring this conflict to an end. We are heartened by reports of a possible trilateral meeting involving Russia and Ukraine facilitated by the U.S. We hope that the parties will earnestly demonstrate political will and engage meaningfully to secure lasting peace in the region. An immediate and robust ceasefire can help the parties bridge their differences and move in the direction of a pacific settlement, the only viable and responsible choice. Pakistan supports all efforts that can help deliver a comprehensive and enduring peaceful resolution of this conflict while addressing the legitimate security concerns of all sides in line with the principles of the UN Charter and international law and relevant multilateral agreements. I thank you.

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

Madam President, at the outset, allow me to thank Mr. Khaled Khairi, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Asia and the Pacific, as well as Ms. Jenna Connell, Director of the Crisis Response Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, of the UN. I thank them for their valuable briefings, and I also welcome all the other participants in this meeting. Madam President, as this war continues and intensifies, civilians remain the ones paying the highest price of this conflict. The first eight months of 2026 saw a troubling escalation of hostilities, resulting in the deaths of 2,222 civilians and 13,058 injuries, representing an increase of 55% compared with the same period of the previous year, according to UN data. As winter approaches, the Kingdom of Bahrain is following with particular concern the continuation of attacks, particularly those targeting civilian infrastructure and energy facilities, with a consequential impact on food security and supply chains. This risks further aggravating the humanitarian situation and increasing the suffering of civilians in a context marked by growing humanitarian needs and the deterioration of living conditions. In this regard, the Kingdom of Bahrain stresses the need to adhere to the provisions of international law and international humanitarian law, particularly the principles relating to the protections of civilians and civilian objects. The Kingdom also emphasizes the need to abstain from targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure. Madam President, the Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms the importance of a peaceful settlement of dispute and in this context we welcome the efforts undertaken by the United States of America to put an end to the conflict and achieve a peaceful and lasting settlement the Kingdom of Bahrain also welcomes all humanitarian initiatives aimed at mitigating the consequences of the conflict, including the mediation efforts undertaken by the sisterly United Arab Emirates, which have resulted in the success of 26 mediation operations allowing for the exchange of 7,997 prisoners and detainees from both sides. Bahrain also welcomes the mediation efforts of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which led to the release of detainees and exchanges of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the mediation efforts of the sisterly state of Qatar, which allowed for the reunification of a number of Ukrainian and Russian children with their families. These steps reflect positive and constructive humanitarian efforts towards de-escalation and meaningful opportunities to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The Kingdom stresses the importance of continuing these endeavours, intensifying diplomatic efforts, while demonstrating the necessary political will to bringing views closer together and create appropriate conditions for returning to dialogue and negotiations, paving the way towards a peaceful, lasting, and comprehensive settlement of the conflict. To conclude, Madam President, the Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms that the maintenance of international peace and security remains a fundamental priority of this Council's work. We stress the importance of implementing Security Council Resolution 2774 as the cessation of hostilities is an essential step towards ending humanitarian suffering and paving the way for political and diplomatic solutions leading to a just and lasting peace that would contribute to restoring security and stability on the European continent. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Bahrain for the statement, and I now give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you to ASG Kiari and Director Connell for your briefings. The United States is deeply concerned by the recent attacks in Kramatorsk and Prikli. Colleagues, as President Trump has strongly condemned the unnecessary loss of life in this war, and he has been clear that the killing must stop. Kiev and Moscow should make the responsible choice and immediately return to the negotiating table, not extend this carnage and its impacts well beyond the front lines. We also call for all parties to take immediate steps to strengthen protection of humanitarian workers. Recent attacks affecting medical facilities, humanitarian evacuations, logistics, and aid workers are unacceptable. We recognize the humanitarians who put themselves in harm's way to try to help civilians in need, and demand their protection. The conflict will not end through military victory for either side, but only through negotiations. The United States will continue to work towards a swift and durable end to the war through our support for a ceasefire and negotiated settlement. The sooner Ukraine and Russia can reach agreement, the fewer people will die on both sides. Around the world, this conflict is depriving people of lifesaving grain and other food. We will play whatever constructive role we can, including our continued mediation of trilateral talks, to bring an end to this senseless war. We expect the same of Ukraine and Russia. I thank you.

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

Madam President, at the outset, I thank ASG Hiyari and Director Connell for their comprehensive briefings. I will also welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Ukraine into this meeting. As we convene today, our delegation remains deeply concerned by the ongoing hostilities and the continued worsening of the humanitarian and security conditions in Ukraine. Development on the ground demonstrates that the longer this conflict persists, the longer the prospects for achieving a durable, sustainable peace are diminished. Madam President, Our delegation is deeply troubled by the continuous escalation of military actions targeting critical civilian infrastructure. The protection of civilians and critical civilian infrastructure constitute an absolute, non-negotiable obligation enshrined in international humanitarian law. In this regard, we call on all parties to strictly adhere to the obligations under international humanitarian law and uphold the core principles of distinction and proportionality. Madam President, we reiterate our firm conviction that there is no military solution to this protracted conflict. Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable instrument to bring an end to this crisis. We urge all parties to prioritize immediate de-escalation, exercise the utmost restraint, and commit to a comprehensive cessation of hostilities. My delegation welcomes the recent efforts to keep direct communication channels open and ongoing trilateral mediation frameworks. We continue to encourage all international initiatives that can lay the groundwork for a constructive path towards the escalation and the cessation of hostilities. Madam President, a durable, just and comprehensive resolution must address the underlying causes of the crisis and adhere strictly to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. Sustained peace will demand sincere compromise, mutual confidence-building measures, and a shared commitment to a common and lasting security. In conclusion, my delegation reaffirms its steadfast support for all constructive diplomatic initiatives aimed at restoring peace, security, and stability. The Ukrainian people and all those affected by this conflict deserve nothing less than peace, dignity, and a secure future. I thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam President. We would like to thank you for convening this meeting, and we would also like to thank Assistant Secretary General Kyari and the Director Connell for their briefings. We would also like to greet the other delegations that are joining us in the room today. My delegation would like to begin by Deeply deploring the attacks of recent days, the numbers from the High Commissioner for Human Rights register at least 85 civilians killed and 346 injured since Monday. Colombia expresses its most heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and all people affected by this. Colombia has followed with attention and concern the evolution of the war in Ukraine. We reiterate our call for the maximum degree of restraint to avoid a greater escalation of the hostilities and to prioritize diplomatic efforts that allow us to move towards a peaceful solution. Persistent violence and its humanitarian consequences make it increasingly urgent to redouble our efforts to protect the civilian population and put an end to human suffering. Colombia would like to reiterate its commitment to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of states. as well as the principles of international humanitarian law. Madam President, international humanitarian law is unequivocal. Attacking the civilian population, attacking civilian objects, and launching indiscriminate attacks is forbidden. This is established in Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions in Articles 48, 51, and 52, as well as customary law. The principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution are not recommendations; they are obligations that are binding for all of the parties in this conflict. Given this, Any alleged violation of these provisions should be investigated, and those responsible for them should be held accountable. This applies to all parties. Madam President, Colombia reaffirms its conviction that the solution must be political and negotiated on the basis of respect for the Charter of the United Nations. We welcome diplomatic efforts currently underway, especially those spearheaded by the United States, and we welcome the continuity of the dialogue. We reiterate our call for a total and immediate ceasefire as a critical step to reduce the suffering of the civilian population and move toward a sustainable peace. In this context, we would also like to call for an end to the practice of recruiting nationals of third countries, especially those that involve deceit, coercion, or take advantage of situations of vulnerability. As winter approaches, and both briefers referred to this issue, we are especially concerned by the situation of millions of civilians who will soon face extreme temperatures without access to electricity, heating, and other basic services. We recognize OCHA's work, as well as the work of its partners, and we call for full humanitarian access that is rapid, sustained, and unrestricted. Colombia will continue to work constructively with all members of the Security Council so that the urgency to save lives is not lost on the way to peace. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Colombia for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation.

Madam President, back on June 25th, the leader of the Kyiv junta loudly proclaimed a 40-day operation to compel Russia to peace, effectively setting a course toward further escalation. As part of that campaign, the armed forces of Ukraine deliberately struck Russian facilities that were known to be civilian in nature: oil refineries, fuel storage depots, port terminals, energy and industrial infrastructure, online retailers, logistics hubs, airfields, and maritime vessels. His European sponsors have only encouraged him in this, supplying ever more weapons capable of striking deep within Russia. As was to be expected, Kyiv failed to achieve its stated objective. Instead, A predictable response followed from the Russian armed forces against the facilities of Ukraine's military-industrial complex, as well as energy infrastructure involved in military production and logistics. We've repeatedly warned that such actions would not go unanswered and that further escalation would have the most serious consequences for the Kyiv regime. Now, rather than admitting the failure of his undertaking, Zelensky is, with a straight face, claiming that he needs another 40 days to continue the escalation. In this context, all the lamentations that we have heard and will hear today are devoid of both logic and common sense. It was Kyiv that consciously chose to aggravate the situation and initiate escalation, and now it seeks to portray itself as an innocent victim. At the same time, we categorically reject the unfounded accusations that Russian armed forces intentionally strike Ukrainian civilians. Our targets have been and remain exclusively military facilities and infrastructure involved in supporting military operations, regardless of attempts in Kyiv and European countries to claim otherwise. The real question is why Ukrainian troops are placing air defense systems, weapons and ammunition depots, military industrial facilities, drone production sites, and other military infrastructure within residential areas, thus creating threats to the lives of ordinary Ukrainians. The Kyiv authorities unfairly blame us for tragedies that occur as a result of the shortcomings of Ukrainian air defenses, including the fall of anti-aircraft missiles and debris from intercepted targets. And not a single Western country is even considering holding Kyiv accountable for violating Article 58 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which requires parties to the maximum extent feasible to avoid locating military objectives within or near densely populated areas. Madam President, neither Zelensky nor his Western patrons from the so-called coalition of the willing seek a genuine settlement to the Ukrainian crisis. All they need right now is to freeze the conflict in order to regroup and prepare for a large-scale war with Russia. Support since 2022 for Kyiv from the EU and its member states alone has exceeded 220 billion euros, of which more than 93 billion euros have officially been allocated for military purposes. NATO and Brussels continue to flood Kyiv with weapons, including long-range systems, and supply intelligence for targeting purposes, which Ukrainian forces use to carry out terrorist strikes against civilian facilities and civilians in Russia. Yet Western capitals remain unconcerned by all this. The European so-called leaders merely roll their eyes and pretend not to understand the true nature of the regime in Kyiv that they themselves have nurtured and cultivated. All of Zelensky's claim about readiness for peace and the need for a ceasefire, by strange coincidence, seem to become louder the worse the situation is for the Ukrainian regime on the battlefield. Throughout all these years, the West has brazenly interfered in Ukraine's internal affairs. It has turned a blind eye to human rights violations and subsequent killings of residents of Donbas. and after 2022, it also turned a blind eye to the indiscriminate destruction of Ukraine's own people. Even now, the West continues to pretend they do not notice the appalling forced mobilization, the prohibition of any form of dissent, persecution on the basis of faith and the use of one's native language, and a government that has turned the country's entire population into mere specimens whose sole task is to go and die in a war for the interests of European elites and Zelensky himself. Terror against civilians and civilian infrastructure has long become one of the tools of Zelensky's state policy. Residential neighborhoods, civilian buses, hospitals, ambulances, energy facilities and life support infrastructure repeatedly become targets of attacks. Since the beginning of this year, more than 8,000 people have been affected by Ukrainian strikes across various Russian regions, including at least 425 children. In the last week alone, 29 civilians, including two children, were killed, and another 206 people were wounded. Here is one tragic story which occurred only a few days ago. On October 7 in the Kherson region, 120 kilometers away from the front line, a Ukrainian drone destroyed the civilian vehicle of local baker Alexander Kolotun, who was delivering humanitarian aid and helping evacuate civilians. His 15-year-old daughter Anna died alongside him. Alexander was raising 13 children, and his wife, Tatiana, is expecting their 14th child. The demonstrative silence of European delegations regarding such victims exposes the full depth of their double standards and hypocrisy when it comes to protecting civilians. What we are dealing with is a systematic practice of using weapons and committing deliberate terrorist acts on Russian territory and beyond. direct or indirect assistance to which constitutes a direct violation of the International Convention for the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism of 1999 and other norms of international law. Madam President, there can be no mistake here. Europe is acting not as a mediator or a promoter of peace. Rather, it is the main sponsor of continuing the war. And the populations of European countries are beginning to understand that Europe's deranged leaders are preparing their populations for a full-scaled war with Russia as early as 2030. This largely explains the record decline in support for incumbent governments in several major European countries. Yet some so-called European leaders, in the spirit of Hermann Goering, openly admit that the opinion of their own people does not interest them, because people can always be compelled to obey, particularly if they are told that they are under attack. they seek to blame Russia for their failures. Various provocations and staged incidents are used to this end, the latest example of which is the so-called drone incident in Leipzig. Instead of evidence and facts, once again, we only hear "highly likely". Instead of investigations and proof, there are hasty accusations. Even more absurd are the allegations that Moscow is unwilling to cooperate with the investigation. No one even offered this to us. fully understanding that we would not only prove our non-involvement but also point to the real organizers. The statements coming from Berlin are all the more laughable given its four-year-long imitation of efforts to identify those responsible for the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. Also telling was the meeting initiated by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadepuhl with Minister Lavrov on the margins of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, where instead of a substantive discussion, the German foreign minister chose to recite a familiar list of anti-Russian accusations regarding the conflict in Ukraine. That diplomatic performance only confirmed the lack of an independent foreign policy line on the part of Germany's current leadership and its unwillingness to engage in serious, mutually respectful dialogue with Russia. Europe's lack of any sort of plan B is a very alarming signal for the entire world. Madam President, European speculation on the topic of global food security and supposedly catastrophic consequences for the world is pursuing a very specific objective to turn the countries of the global South against Russia by placing responsibility on our country for possible disruptions of food and fertilizer supplies. While feigning concern for the hungry, Europe prefers to remain silent about Kyiv's attacks on civilian ships. It is precisely the actions of the Zelensky regime that cause disruptions in grain and fertilizer supplies, shortages, and inflation. Ukrainian armed forces deliberately destroy Russian producers of mineral fertilizers and sulfur. They discredit Russian exporters and intentionally disrupt supply chains for Russian agricultural products. Since midsummer, Ukrainian armed forces have shifted from sporadic attacks in the Azov and Black Sea region to a tactic of systematically striking civilian vessels that are transporting food, oil, and petroleum products. The officials of the Kyiv regime have not only publicly confirmed their involvement in these actions, but have emphasized that they carried them out deliberately. In 2026, 214 such incidents have been recorded out of a total of 228 since the start of the special military operation. They have resulted in the deaths of 28 crew members. By comparison, in 2025, only 12 vessels were struck. and in 2023 and '24, only one vessel each. Among the incidents this year were seven major attacks on tankers transporting Kazakh oil through the facilities of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. On July 8, Ukrainian armed forces struck a vessel belonging to the U.S. company Chevron. The situation involving Turkish economic operators is also telling. Turkish vessels damaged in the Black Sea sustained that damage as a result of the actions of the UAF. Russia does not deliberately attack civilian shipping. Our targets are vessels carrying military cargo and dual-use goods, as well as port infrastructures serving the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Using civilian flags as cover for military transport means consciously putting commercial shipping at risk. It is Kyiv's reckless actions that have led to escalation in the Black and Azov Seas. Attempts to place responsibility on Russia are blatant attempts at political instrumentalization that cannot hide the consequences of Zelensky's ill-fated ventures. In these circumstances, the primary stabilization measure should not be various kinds of deals lacking guarantees that Kyiv will actually fulfill them, but rather Kyiv's cessation of its sabotage and terrorist activities against civilian vessels and its removal of obstacles to the functioning of existing international trade and logistics routes. Madam President, Russia has never refused to engage in negotiations on a just and lasting settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. However, such a settlement is impossible without overcoming the legacy of Maidan, eliminating the root causes of the conflict, first and foremost, violations of the rights of the Russian and Russian-speaking populations, and repealing other discriminatory laws in Ukraine. The Kyiv regime, supported by its Western friends, is shirking serious dialogue. For them, war is a means of political survival. Because as long as Zelensky promises outstanding victories, he remains in power while weapons continue to pour into long-suffering Ukraine. We are not the ones who launched this vicious cycle of escalation. The Pandora's box was opened in Kyiv. Let these miscalculations of the leader of the gang and sea of serve as a lesson to all those attempting to impose peace on us on Ukrainian and Western terms while issuing ultimatums. Until our opponents realize that it is long past time to begin substantive discussions on conditions capable of ensuring a long-term settlement, we will continue to pursue the objectives of the special military operation through military means. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation for the statement. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Greece. I would like to begin by thanking Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khari as well as Director Condoleezza Rice for their sobering remarks today. We are witnessing a severe intensification of Russian strikes against urban areas across Ukraine, culminating in the horrific attacks of this week, including Preluiki and Kramatorsk, killing at least 85 and injuring more than 346 Ukrainians, among them many children. We join the Secretary-General in strong condemnation of these ongoing attacks, express our condolences to Ukraine and to the families of the victims, and call on Russia to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. Russia is already weaponizing another winter, ramping up its long-range strikes against energy and critical infrastructure across the country, and violating core principles of international humanitarian law. Our thoughts are also with the Ukrainian people in the temporarily occupied territories, including the people of Oleshky, suffering through the consequences of a deadly blockade. We reiterate that Greece condemns any attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarian actors, warehouses, and supplies of critical importance, wherever they may occur. International humanitarian law is a mandatory legal obligation, not a choice. We deplore any lives lost and call for full accountability and justice. Russia's systematic campaign against urban areas has been announced publicly and cynically, and new warnings have been issued to foreign residents, including the diplomatic community in the country, to abandon it. These announcements are unacceptable. Greece will remain present in Ukraine. We call on Russia to abstain from such warnings or threats against diplomatic institutions in full respect of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Dear colleagues, Russia continues to target vessels and seaport infrastructure in the Black Sea and the Danube. threatening maritime security, energy supplies, and exacerbating food insecurity, especially in most vulnerable countries which rely on Ukrainian grain. Food security is a global public good. Greece is among the 53 signatories to a letter requesting FAO, WFP, and IFAD to support efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, including through a moratorium on attacks in vessels and port infrastructure, and develop an action plan to address the food insecurity consequences of the current escalation. We reiterate that freedom of navigation be fully and unconditionally protected in accordance with international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea. Vessels conducting lawful transportation of products should not be considered potential targets. Dear colleagues, against this backdrop, we join the overwhelming majority of the UN membership and this Council in calling for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire as the first step towards meaningful negotiations aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace, in accordance with the international law, the UN Charter, and the General Assembly resolutions. To that end, we call upon Russia to end hostilities and return to the negotiating table in good faith. We believe in peace and have supported all efforts to that end. While our preference remains firmly in favor of a ceasefire, we support any proposal for a moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure as a confidence-building measure. Nevertheless, Peace is much more than the absence of conflict. Greece rejects any change of borders as a result of the use of force. We will support a peace that will be firmly based in full respect of Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and founded on enforceable security guarantees which will deter any recurrence of armed aggression in the future. I thank you. I resume my function as President of the Council. I now give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.

Madam President, distinguished members of the Security Council, I thank the presidency of Greece for convening today's meeting, as well as Denmark, France, Latvia, and the United Kingdom for their support of Ukraine's emergency request. As always, I'm also grateful to the briefers, Assistant Secretary General Kyari and Director Connell for their bearing witness of new atrocious war crimes that Russia has committed in the last two days against the civilians in Ukraine. Mr. Nebenzia and ASG Kyari just mentioned casualties in Russia and in the occupied territories of Ukraine by Russia, but let me stress again and again that this information has not been verified independently by the UN and therefore cannot be trusted. The reason Ukraine requested this emergency meeting is very simple. Over the past weeks, Russia's missile terror against the civilian population has reached unprecedented level of brutality and casualties. In the first eight months of this year alone, UN monitors verified 2,222 civilians killed and more than 13,000 injured in Ukraine. Many of them were my friends. That is 55% more than in the same months of last year. On average, 400 civilians are killed or injured in Ukraine every single week, 400 innocent people. Yet September and the first week of October saw Russia's plumb new depths of barbarity, accompanied by an unprecedented deterioration of the humanitarian situation. Unable to make meaningful gains on the battlefield, Russia has resorted to mass attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure, from data centers and mobile networks to hospitals, schools, and universities. Russia has also resumed large-scale strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities and other systems essential to urban life, including water supply and sewage networks. Since August, jet-powered Russian drones have relentlessly targeted civilians in Kyiv. On September 28, a Russian drone struck the historic headquarters of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences in the very heart of Kyiv. killing two and injuring others, including the academy's first vice president. Heartbreaking footage of researchers desperately trying to escape the deadly smoke through the windows of the burning building spread around the world, evoking haunting memories of the 9/11 tragedy. Since October 1st, Russia has targeted bridges across The Dnipro River in Kyiv, threatening civilian traffic and seeking to paralyze the capital. At least five strikes hit the southern bridge, followed by two strikes on the northern bridge. And the objective is clear, to make the capital unlivable and drive peaceful residents from their home. History has shown that bridges in besieged cities are not merely pieces of infrastructure. They are lifelines for civilians, connecting people to work, hospitals, food, and safety. The destruction of the old bridge in Mostar in 1993 stands as a stark reminder of what happens when a city's lifeline is severed. So repeated Russian attacks on Kyiv's bridges raise a grave concern that Putin's aim is not merely to disrupt transport, but to make normal life impossible. Even the darkest chapters of antiquity and the Middle Ages offer no parallels for the sheer brutality of Putin's attempt to besiege Ukrainian cities with missiles, above all our capital, Kyiv. And just two days ago, on October 7, Russia committed one of the largest mass atrocities of this war. Russian cruise missile deliberately struck a residential five-story building in the city of Preluki, Chernihiv region, killing at least 22 people, including five children. This heinous strike came early in the morning, while most residents were still asleep. The world was shaking by the disturbing images of a rescue worker carrying a five-year-old girl, Zoriana, in his arms, a child who by some miracle had been pulled alive from the rubble. only to lose her family murdered in this Russian attack. And yesterday, on October 8, a Russian airstrike on the city of Kramatorsk killed 33 people and injured at least 20 more. A guided aerial bomb struck two public buses full of passengers. And when emergency responders arrived at the scene of this Russian war crime, they were confronted with a sight from hell. Mutilated human bodies scattered around the road, right in the heart of the city. So just in the last two days, Russia killed at least 78 civilians and injured 215 more. 87 people murdered. It is more than those sitting now in this chamber. Mr. Nebenzia just tried to portray this new wave of missile terror against civilians as alleged retaliation. That is a lie. How cynical can you be, looking for an excuse to commit the worst atrocities in modern history, there can be no justification for Russian massacres. Distinguished members of the Council, some may argue that there is little point in convening emergency meetings of the Security Council, such as today's, when we already have a monthly meeting devoted to Russia's war against Ukraine. Under this logic, one meeting a month should be enough. Discuss the war, express concern, tick the box, and move on to the next item on the agenda. But I fundamentally disagree with this approach. The reason is simple. This diabolical nature of Putin's war is growing at lightning speed. The brutality this barbaric war has reached is escalating every few weeks to a new level of violence. We are daily confronted with atrocities on a scale that would have seemed unimaginable only weeks earlier, with new depths of cruelty and war crimes. Ukrainians cannot accept a merely procedural approach by the Security Council to the bloodiest and deadliest war on European soil since 1949, a war Russia has been waging for nearly five full years. And what I find equally troubling is hearing that some members of the Council have grown tired of dealing with this issue, convinced that this Council is deadlocked and there is little point in trying to break out of this vicious circle. Let me be clear. This is a profoundly misguided approach. The fact that the Security Council is allegedly stalemated does not absolve it of its responsibility to act. On the contrary, it makes that responsibility all the more urgent. Sadly, nowhere else in the world are civilian casualties skyrocketing at such a dramatic exponential rate as they are in Russia's war against Ukraine. So every time Russian drones, missiles, and guided bombs shake Ukrainian soil, and we see not just one or two people killed, but dozens of dead and now hundreds of injured, both our minds and our hearts struggle to comprehend such savage brutality. We find ourselves thinking things cannot get any worse, and yet time and again Russia proves that it can undo itself in the sheer scale of barbarity. And of course, the ultimate objective of this genocidal policy is the physical destruction of the Ukrainian people as such, the extermination of Ukrainians one by one, wherever they may live. And I say it without exaggeration. The real goal of Russia's brutal military campaign is not, as Mr. Putin would ask to believe, merely to seize the entire Donetsk region. At its current snail's pace of advance, the Russian army may reach this objective in 2032 at the earliest, while losing more than 40,000 troops every single month, or totally about 3 million soldiers. Therefore, Putin's real objective is to pursue the ultimate eradication of the Ukrainian nation, an objective chillingly, chillingly reminiscent of Hitler's so-called final solution against the Jewish people. Just days ago, the Kremlin's chief propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov, stated it openly on live TV. And allow me to quote his words. For the remaining inhabitants of Kyiv, I will repeat for the hundredth time, leave the city. You are doomed. The same goes for residents of Odessa and Mykolaiv. You've had your laugh. And when we are asked whether we should care about the people living in the cities, my answer is, yes, we do. We are thinking about where to bury them. End quote. So the Russians are thinking where to bury us, Ukrainians, altogether. Just let those words sink in, words that make one's blood run cold. And this is no metaphor. We are hearing in plain and frightening terms calls for all Ukrainians to be killed en masse and for their bodies to be buried or maybe burned. Russia's senior state officials have referred to Ukrainians as tumors, rabid dogs, cockroaches, lice, and vermin that Russia must disinfect. Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and now deputy chairman of Security Council, stated the true objective of Russia's war with the most terrifying cynicism imaginable. And I quote, "They," meaning Ukrainians, "must be destroyed. That's it." Madam President, let me once again draw this Council's attention to the catastrophic situation in Oleshky, Kherson region. Under Russian occupation is one of the examples of exactly this Moscow systemic pattern of total annihilation. This town, as we just heard from other Speakers today and from our colleagues from the Secretariat and the surrounding villages are being cut off from the outside world. Humanitarian aid is blocked, evacuations are obstructed, and thousands of civilians are left without food and medicine. They are starving before your eyes. I therefore call on the Security Council to act without delay and adopt a resolution demanding the immediate lifting of the siege of Alashkum, the unimpeded delivery of food, medicines and other life-saving supplies, as well as the rapid and safe evacuation of civilians wishing to leave. Let me remind this Council that it has acted before in the face of similar humanitarian catastrophes. In resolution 2139, this Council demanded the lifting of sieges, the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the rapid and safe evacuation of civilians in Syria. Resolution 2165 established a mechanism to facilitate and monitor humanitarian deliveries. And in resolution 2417, this Council condemned the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access. These precedents are clear. The people of need more than just expressions of concern. They need food, medicine, and a way to safety. This Council must turn its own precedents into action. Madam President, we have to do with a purely genocidal rhetoric of Russia that must be taken seriously. The machinery of Russia's growing terror against Ukrainians that we have seen in the last days and weeks serves another purpose as well. By constantly raising the stakes and crossing ever more red lines in the scale of brutality, Russia is seeking to normalize, to normalize this shocking level of terror and violence in the eyes of international community. Russia wants to make the unthinkable seem routine and the intolerable seem acceptable. By escalating the level of its war crimes, Russia attempts to numb our senses so that each new wave of its atrocities that shock the conscience of mankind is perceived as nothing more than another news headline, not noticed for a moment, but then forgotten. So we must not allow Russia to drag all of us, including the Council, into its cynical game of apathy. Even the most appalling massacres eventually provoke nothing more than a shrug. And that is precisely why Ukraine will continue to call for emergency meetings of the Security Council. We will not allow the evil unleashed by Russia's war against Ukraine to become normalized. We will not allow the Council to grow accustomed to the unacceptable and to become indifferent to the intolerable. I think each of us has quoted Doug Hammerschmidt's famous words at some point, perhaps more than once. that the United Nations was not created to bring humanity to heaven, but to save it from hell. And yet, what we are witnessing in Ukraine today is nothing short of hell on earth, a hell that Russia is inflicting on the Ukrainian people day after day with mounting brutality. And if the UN was created to save the world from hell, then surely the Council must finally move beyond these routine discussions and take decisive action. Let me make one thing clear. History will hold this Security Council and every member represented in this chamber today personally accountable for this inaction. Genocide rarely begins with the world fully grasping what is unfolding. The warning signs are there, but they are too often ignored, dismissed, or recognized too late. And then, once the machinery of mass extermination is set in full motion, it can unfold with terrifying speed of sound. Let us remember Rwanda. In just 100 days in 1994, more than 1 million people were murdered in genocide against the Tutsis. Many were slaughtered with machetes. And now consider the cruel world that we live in today. Putin commands a vastly more sophisticated arsenal of weapons. capable of killing on an unimaginable scale. So the lesson of Rwanda is that this Council must act before all these warning signs that we see become mass graves. Unfortunately, one must give Mr. Putin his due. As a former KGB officer, he has mastered a weapon that can be no less dangerous than a nuclear arsenal. intimidation. He knows how to weaponize fear, how to cultivate the perception that Russia is winning the war, and persuade others that resistance is futile. We shall discard this vicious game of Mr. Putin. Madam President, there are two fundamental reasons why Russia will never win this war. The first is the Russian army's inability to make any meaningful advances along the front line, and the second, perhaps even more decisive, Is the gradual collapse of the Russian economy increasingly buckling under the unbearable burden of senseless military spending? A few days ago, Putin was bragging at Valdai Forum that Russian forces had seized 1,300 square kilometers of Ukraine in September. While independent think tanks, like the Institute for the Study of War, working from clear located evidence found quite the opposite. Russia managed to occupy only 175 square kilometers, but it lost 256. Therefore, the analysts described the Kremlin's figures as so far from reality as to resemble, and I quote, hallucinations. The Russian army is bogged down along the whole front line. Putin's boasts of a swift conquest of even the entire Donetsk region are just wishful thinking. In September, Russia paid more than 46,000 soldiers killed and wounded in one month. It is the highest toll since 2022. And meanwhile, Ukrainian defense forces continue to force Russian advances and liberate occupied territory. Operation Vivaldi alone in the Donetsk region has already reclaimed approximately 140 square kilometers. And it is precisely because Russian troops are stuck knee-deep in the mud along the front line, unable to meet yet another deadline for capturing the Donetsk region, that Putin has decided to go all in on his bloody strategy, the systematic terror of civilians and the mass killing of innocent women and children. But this battlefield failure is only half the story. Let me turn to the second reason why Russia is losing and will lose this war. The war-driven economy is showing soaring signs of structural weakness. The military spending has reached 12% of economic output and consumes almost half of the whole federal budget. I repeat, half of Russia's budget is being swallowed up by the war. Economic growth forecasts have already been reduced to 0.4% because the military sector is literally choking the civilian economy. According to Russia's own fiscal data, oil and gas revenues declined by 17% in the first nine months of this year. Even elevated oil prices have not prevented a decline in budget revenues. Last week, the Russian government sent to the parliament a plan to spend 17 trillion rubles, or 200 billion US dollar, on defense next year. It is the highest figure since the invasion began and 27% more than it had planned a year ago. To pay for it, the same document cuts planned spending on education, on health care, and on social support. So Putin's war is now being paid for with money Russia does not even have. By its own official figures, this year's deficit will be almost twice what was predicted, a record 3.2% of GDP. Putin himself admitted last week that the war has already cost Russia 1% of its GDP in refinery losses alone. That is all you need to know why Russia cannot and will not sustain this war indefinitely. Its economy is bending under the unbearable burden of military spending, and its eventual collapse may only be a matter of time. Just remember the Soviet Union. And that is without even mentioning one striking fact, that Russia's entire GDP is comparable to that of the US state of New York. Madam President, as we just heard, the situation in the Black Sea is particularly alarming. Since July, Russia's attacks have brought maritime traffic through Ukraine's Black Sea ports to a halt. Civilian commercial vessels flying the flags of third countries have come under brutal attack. with deadly consequences. By targeting Ukraine's maritime exports, Russia is cutting off supplies of Ukrainian food on which about 400 million of people around the world depend, mostly in the global south. The implications for global food security are grave. Disrupting these exports threatens to drive up food prices deepen hunger and push already vulnerable countries closer to famine. This is an issue that demands attention from this Council and firm action to restore freedom of navigation and ensure the safe passage of commercial shipping. I therefore urge the Secretary-General to launch a mediation campaign aimed at restoring maritime exports of grain and other agricultural products in the Black Sea. I once again call on the Member States of the Security Council to put forward a respective draft resolution and to devote its next meeting to this increasingly dangerous crisis. The Security Council must act before the disruption of food supplies translates into a still deeper global hunger. Madam President, I must draw the Security Council's attention to yet another troubling development. Belarus. continues to facilitate Russia's attacks against Ukraine. It has reactivated signal relay systems on its soil that enhance the operational capabilities of Russian drones targeting Ukraine. These systems had previously been deactivated following Ukraine's appeals, but their reactivation raises now serious concerns about Belarus' active contribution to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. We call on Belarus to immediately cease all forms of assistance that facilitate Russia's attack, including the use of its territory and infrastructure. We also urge the Council to take all necessary steps to ensure that Belarus ends these malign activities. Madam President, to conclude, let me once again appeal to all members of the Security Council, to each one of you, my colleagues, find the courage to submit a draft resolution that would compel Russia to end its barbaric war against Ukraine, stop the daily slaughter of innocent civilians, and withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian soil. The Ukrainian people deserve a lasting and just peace in accordance with the UN Charter. Ukraine wants peace. Russia wants our surrender. This will never happen. Ukraine is ready to negotiate. Russia is saying, "nyet." Russia, as we heard today, but also a few days ago when Mr. Lavrov was speaking from the rostrum at the General Assembly, they are saying that Russia will continue its military operation and will achieve its goals on the battlefield. This will never happen. Madam President, just a few days ago, At this little Valdai propaganda jamboree, Putin once again was spewing nonsense and indulging in his trademark whining. And I quote, "The truth is that we were not the ones who wanted this war, nor did we start it. It was others who started the war against us." End quote. So in closing, as is my custom, I wish to ask the Russian representative to convey a simple message to his boss in Moscow. All his groaning, whining, and playing the victim reminds of a classic line from a Soviet movie, and I will quote it in the original Russian.

I am not guilty. He came to me. I am not guilty. He attacked me.

Will you sit through these Russian renditions of Krylov's fables, listening to the wolf explaining why it is the lamb's fault, while Russian missiles keep killing Ukrainian kids right before your eyes. I hope that a field trip of the Council to Kyiv to witness this genocidal apocalypse unfolding in plain sight before the entire world will help you realize your own responsibility of inaction, I think.

I thank the representative of Ukraine for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Norway.

Thank you, Madam President. And I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and my own country, Norway. Every day, Russia chooses to continue its brutal war of aggression and attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. The devastating attacks on 7 and 8 October, killing dozens of civilians, including children, serve as a stark reminder of the immense and unacceptable human suffering caused by Russia. These attacks come as Ukraine stands on the brink of what is likely to become the harshest winter for the populations since the start of the Russia's full-scale invasion. While temperatures fall, Russia continues its relentless strikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, depriving civilians of heat, electricity, and other essential services. Across the country, these attacks are undermining the provision of essential services and the ability of communities to meet their basic needs. In the temporarily occupied city of Oleshky, the situation is dire. The humanitarian crisis is, as we have heard, deep, with little or no access to food or medicine and no safe evacuation routes. This is but one devastating example of Russia's complete disregard for the lives of Ukrainian civilians and its continued failure to comply with international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Russia must ensure the protection of civilians, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and the provision of essential food and medical assistance to affected populations, and allow facilitated humanitarian evacuations. We call on Russia to agree to an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on international law. Madam President, Above all, we must remember that this discussion is about the people of Ukraine, who have endured the human cost of occupation since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. It is about the thousands of Ukrainians serving on the front line, courageously defending their country and their communities. It is about the Ukrainian men and women who have survived conflict-related sexual violence in detention, hundreds of cases of which have been verified by the United Nations. It is about civilians who are unlawfully detained and subjected to torture and other inhumane treatment for doing their job, teaching their language, preserving their culture or simply telling the truth. And it is about the unlawful, deported and forcibly transferred children, separated from their families and communities, and subjected to efforts aimed at erasing their Ukrainian identity. We yet again call on Russia to immediately release all unlawfully detained civilians and return the illegally deported and transferred children. President, one week ago, Russia once again issued a threat to foreign nationals and diplomatic staff in Ukraine. It is Russia that should withdraw its troops and leave Ukraine. Let there be no doubt, we are staying in Kyiv. Our support to Ukraine is unwavering. And we will continue to demand that Russia ceases its war of aggression, complies with its obligations under international law, and engages constructively in efforts towards a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Norway for the statement. And I now give the floor to the representative of Estonia.

Thank you, President. I have done to speak on behalf of the Baltic States. We align ourselves with the statement of the European Union. As brave Ukrainian armed forces were able to stop the advancement of Russian troops across the front line and started to gain back Ukrainian territory, Kremlin was forced to shift tactics and is now focusing on bringing death, terror, destruction, and suffering to the entire Ukrainian population with no limits, no remorse, against every norm of the international humanitarian law. Ahead of the fifth winter of full-scale war, Ukraine is facing Russia's relentless bombardment of civilian infrastructure that is keeping the Ukrainian economy going and assuring survival of tens of millions of people. Russia is deliberately targeting transport and logistics infrastructure, bridges, railways, ports, and border crossings. Not only to destroy critical links, but disrupting evacuations, humanitarian deliveries, and the movement of people and goods across the country. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, civilian casualties during the first eight months of 2026 increased by 55% compared to the same period last year. Russia's strikes targeting Greater Odessa, Hornomorsk, Renny, Ismail, and Tanoma River ports The destruction of grain storages and attacks against merchant vessels navigating through the Black Sea have disrupted global grain supplies to regions dependent on Ukrainian exports, such as parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Russia's attacks have driven up maritime insurance costs and amplified broader global food price pressures. We all pay an increasing price for this neocolonial barbarity unleashed by the Kremlin. The Baltic states strongly condemn the continued military support provided by the DPRK, Belarus, and Iran to Russia, which enables it to sustain its war of aggression against Ukraine. We also call on China to end its role as a decisive enabler of this war, including by providing the dual-use technology and components that help Russia produce weapons and continue the aggression. President, The UN Commission of Inquiry has documented widespread war crimes by Russian forces and concluded that the Russian authorities committed crimes against humanity. For four consecutive years, Russia's armed forces have been listed in UN reports on children and armed conflict. They are now also listed for conflict-related sexual violence. Security Council Resolution 2242 welcomes the Secretary-General's decision to prohibit repeatedly listed countries from participating in UN peacekeeping operations. We call for this decision to be applied to Russia. Forces implicated in such grave violations have no place under the UN flag. To conclude, let me stress again that the only credible way to comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine is by forcing Russia, first, to immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire, and then to peace. For this, we need to exercise maximum pressure and raise the cost of aggression for Russia until it will be forced to end this war. The Baltic states remain unwavering in our support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity under the UN Charter, as well as in demanding full accountability for all the crimes committed in Ukraine, including the crime of aggression. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Estonia for the statement. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Stavros Lambrinidis, head of the delegation of the European Union to the United Nations.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States, the candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia, as well as Andorra and Monaco align themselves with this statement. I thank the briefers for their valuable insights, and I thank the Greek Presidency for convening this emergency meeting following Ukraine's request. Once again, in this room, the stark reality of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has been made clear. The facts, as presented by the briefers, are irrefutable. Russia's actions are indisputable and they're intolerable. The intensification of missile and drone strikes in Ukraine, causing an increasing number of civilian deaths and casualties, including children, and widespread destruction. The intentional targeting of energy infrastructure, warehouses, and commercial shipping in the Black Sea, in violation of international humanitarian law. The facts. How about the latest attacks? on 7 and 8 October, a particularly devastating reminder of the human cost of Russia's war of aggression. Now, those attacks involved drones, glide bombs, cruise missiles, as well as ballistic and hypersonic missiles, targeting and killing dozens of civilians, including children, on a daily basis. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected. President, Russia has waged aggression against Ukraine, let's not forget this, for more than a decade. Russia's continued systemic project of illegal territorial expansion bears all the hallmarks of a neo-imperial power inflicting immense suffering on the civilian population of Ukraine in the hopes of subjugating it. It's as simple as that, as hair-raising as that. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that in the first eight months of this year, there were 15,280 civilians killed and injured, on average more than 400 every week, and a 55% increase, marked as 55% increase from the same period last year. Children bear the heaviest brunt as attacks on homes, schools, hospitals continue, while women and girls are increasingly at risk of conflict-related sexual violence, displacement, and loss of access to essential services. This is unacceptable. But, colleagues, it goes deeper. In addition to people, Russia has also targeted Ukraine's cultural heritage and identity, systemically, systematically. through attacks on cultural and historical sites directly violating international humanitarian law, and efforts to suppress and erase Ukrainian language and culture in the temporarily occupied territories. To kill not just people, but also history, the soul of a country. How shameful. As winter approaches, Russia intends to deprive millions of Ukrainians of electricity, of heating, and of water. a method that can be only described as weaponization of winter, and which has one goal: to inflict even further suffering on the civilian population of Ukraine. Attacks affecting humanitarian workers, relief facilities, and civilian infrastructure have also intensified and remain equally unacceptable. Inflict misery on the people, and then make sure that all those that can help mitigate some of that misery are also killed. Colleagues, let us also talk about food security. Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine's Black Sea ports. No question about that. Commercial shipping, no question about that. And grain infrastructure, no question about that. Alarm sirens are already blaring that this threatens global food security, with particularly severe consequences for the most vulnerable countries and populations around the globe. The most vulnerable countries and populations are the ones that are going to be hit by this. The Black Sea corridor is Ukraine's main export route for agricultural products, handling 90% of agricultural exports. And the Black Sea escalation adds, as we all know, to other crises. We see risks linked to the compound effects of three key choke points for global food security today and freedom of navigation, the Strait of Hormuz, of course, Bab Mandeb and the Black Sea, further affected by fertilizer shortages and the expected effects of El Nino, a global food security crisis is looming. Global food prices are already reflecting the effects. It is in every state's interest to raise the alarm and to act here. Moreover, Russia is increasingly targeting merchant vessels and causing the death of several civilians on board, while continuing, of course, to impair freedom of navigation in a blatant violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, of which Russia, I remind, is a party. In this context, allow me to recall the letter of 5 October, signed by 53 countries from all regions of the world, and the European Union, calling on FAO, on WFP, and on IFAD to support efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, including through a possible moratorium of attacks, and to develop an action plan to mitigate the impact on global food security. Those countries from around the world said that food must never be a weapon, neither in the Black Sea or anywhere else. President, the European Union will continue to support Ukraine and its inherent right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. We will continue to support efforts to increase pressure on Russia to end its illegal war. And I wouldn't have to repeat every time these words if the Russian representative didn't insist on repeating that we will continue by military means their military operation to extinguish Ukrainians from the face of the earth. But I have to repeat them, and we all do. We urge all countries, including all members of this Council, to immediately cease any assistance to Russia, whether direct or indirect, notably through the provision of dual-use goods and components, and to use their influence on Russia to end its aggression and engage meaningfully in negotiations. Now, as reiterated today and on so many occasions, Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens want to live in peace. The European Union wants peace. Here are the facts. Since March 25, Ukraine has agreed to a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire. Just during 2026, Ukraine repeatedly proposed or accepted several ceasefires, including in March, in April, in May, in June, and in September. Russia did not engage in any of these proposals. And just this week, the Ukrainian foreign minister recalled that five cease-fire options developed jointly with other countries are currently on the table, but their implementation, of course, requires Russia to agree. To one of them, maybe, but to agree. In simple terms, Ukraine has shown its hand and its commitment. The ball is in Russia's court. They cannot -- they cannot wiggle out of that. The EU supports all diplomatic efforts to bring this war to an end and achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on international law, including the UN Charter. Such a peace must respect Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders and its right to choose its own future. It must also provide Ukraine with credible security guarantees to ensure a lasting peace. And, President, beyond all else, this war of aggression needs to stop. And it needs to stop now, as the toll on civilian casualties rises. We cannot permit internationally recognized borders to be changed by force. Russia must immediately cease its attacks against Ukraine and, of course, against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Those responsible for crimes, atrocities, and violations of international law, international human rights law, as well as those complicit in their commission, must be held accountable for their actions. We also reiterate our call on Russia to ensure the immediate, safe, and unconditional return to Ukraine of all detained, forcibly transferred, or deported Ukrainian civilians, including, tragically, children. as well as the complete return of all prisoners of war and the return of all internees as significant confidence-building measures. And I close, Madam President, the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people continue to inspire us all. Of course, the European Union will continue to stand with Ukraine. Everyone must, in this room and around the world. The alternative is that Freedom, everyone's freedom, dies in darkness and in silence. All of us must stand up and tell Russia, not on our watch. Thank you.

I thank His Excellency Mr. Labrinidis for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Poland.

Madam President, Thank you for convening this urgent meeting. We align ourselves with the statement just delivered by the European Union. Two weeks ago, in this chamber, the Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, Sikorski, warned against deliberate escalation planned in Moscow and carried out primarily in Ukraine. Fortunately, Russia continues to follow a pattern of violence. As we have heard in accounts of our briefers today, and the distinguished representative of Ukraine, Russians keep murdering people whom they claim to be liberating. They continue to destroy infrastructure essential to civilian life, attempting to undermine Ukraine's remarkable resilience and deprive its population of basic services. Russia's goal is to subjugate and dominate a nation it claims to regard as brotherly. With assaults on Ukrainian Black Sea ports and merchant vessels, followed by strikes on or near land border crossing points with Poland, Romania, and Moldova, Russia is trying to cut Ukraine off from the rest of the world, halt its foreign trade, including grain exports, restrict the movement of people, and disrupt supplies of humanitarian aid. All these actions may result in an even more serious humanitarian crisis, and perhaps this is exactly Russia's goal. While Russian soldiers are stuck in a war now in its fifth year, with no victory in sight, and die by the thousands every week, violence against those who cannot defend themselves continues to mount. Poland condemns Russia's aggression and attacks against civilians in Ukraine. It is incumbent upon the international community as a whole to condemn and call out Russia's blatant violations of the UN Charter, international law, and basic humanity. But it is not enough. First, we should not let Russia achieve its neocolonial goals, but rather provide Ukraine with the necessary aid and support its inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the Charter. Second, Russia must face sustained economic and diplomatic pressure until it ends its aggression. Third, those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and other crimes committed during this war must be held accountable. Madam President, Poland will continue to stand firmly with Ukrainian people, supporting Ukraine's ability to defend its population. Russia cannot bomb its way to a legitimate peace, nor can it secure its future by destroying Ukraine's. In today's debate, Madam President, 14 members of this Council called, in different words, for end of war. One member, Russia, in response, claimed it will continue trying to achieve its goals with military means. Russia, unfortunately, can still if it chooses to, kill many more innocent people. But it cannot win. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Poland for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Germany.

Madam President, thank you for convening this emergency meeting. Thank you to the ASG and to OCHA for the insightful briefings. We have heard it from the briefers and many previous speakers, including, of course, the representative of Ukraine. The most recent Russian attacks against Ukraine present another abhorrent example of reckless and deliberate disregard for international humanitarian law, because once again, Russian missiles and drones deliberately targeted Ukraine's civilian population and infrastructure. Russia is starving the population of Oleshky, and yesterday in Kramatorsk, Russia hit two civilian buses. We utterly condemn these deliberate attacks against civilians. They constitute war crimes. Leaders from across different regions of the world, be it from the United States, the Middle East, Asia, and of course, Europe, have for many months, even years, relentlessly tried to break an end to Russia's war of aggression. However, Russia has consistently refused to agree even to a limited ceasefire. During his visit to Kyiv last weekend, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sent a very clear message. Germany's support for Ukraine is and remains rock solid. But at the same time, let me stress this. Just as Ukraine stands ready to talk and negotiate, we as Europeans stand ready to talk and negotiate, and we as Germany. And quite frankly, we do not believe it is laughable to reach out and make diplomatic attempts, nor do we believe that the world believes it is laughable. when we say a negotiated peace is possible if necessary steps are taken. And everyone knows what the necessary next step is. Russia must finally cease its gruesome attacks. And the call for an immediate ceasefire, echoed not only by the Secretary General, but also by 14 members of this Council, must finally be heard in Moscow. Because it is high time, high time to end the war, High time to stop the killing and bloodshed. High time to stop the toll on everyday lives of people. And this last point holds true, of course, for Ukraine. But it also holds true for many places in the world, because the consequences of Russia's war extend far beyond Europe. The world needs Ukrainian grain. We have heard about it. And if not seized, the escalating attacks on vessels carrying Ukrainian grain threaten to exacerbate an impending global food crisis, and they threaten to hurt the most vulnerable in this world. So we commend all ongoing negotiations and efforts aimed at securing safe passage for Ukrainian grain, and we stand ready to support them. And I would like to close by calling upon all Member States to stress that point. to Russia's leadership that the only responsible choice vis-a-vis Ukraine and vis-a-vis the world is to finally constructively engage in negotiations. Germany will continue supporting Ukraine until a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace will be achieved. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Germany for the statement. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. The meeting is adjourned.