00:00The start of the new year has brought no peace or even respite to Ukraine, but renewed fighting
00:06and devastation. Large-scale aerial assaults by the Russian Federation against civilians and
00:14civilian infrastructure across the country have resulted in horrific levels of destruction and
00:21suffering. As temperatures plummet far below freezing, the Russian Federation has intensified
00:28its systematic attacks targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The strikes have killed
00:35and injured scores of civilians and deprived millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heating,
00:41and water for prolonged periods. The impact of these attacks is felt hardest by the most vulnerable,
00:49the elderly, children, and persons with limited mobility.
00:56They follow a well-established and deeply troubling pattern. Attacks escalate when weather conditions
01:06worsen and people's need for heating becomes most acute. In one of the most recent large-scale
01:14barrages overnight between 8 and 9 January, the Russian Federation reportedly launched 242 drones
01:23and 36 missiles against Ukraine. In Kiev, at least four people were reportedly killed and 25 others
01:32injured. A paramedic Russian to provide emergency medical care was among those killed, reportedly by a
01:41so-called double-tap strike. Energy facilities and multiple residential buildings were damaged,
01:49leaving nearly half of the city and hundreds of thousands of residents without heating. The embassy of Qatar
01:58was also damaged. That same day, areas in the western Lviv region near the Polish border were reportedly
02:07targeted by a Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile, the so-called Areshnik. This would be the second time the
02:16potentially devastating weapon has been fired at Ukraine since 2024. The Areshnik system is believed to
02:25be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, which has heightened concern over its deployment. According to Ukrainian
02:33authorities, the strike damaged gas distribution pipelines, raising additional concerns about risks to critical
02:41civilian infrastructure. Also on 8 January, two foreign-flagged civilian vessels were hit by Russian drones
02:50in the Odessa region. On 17 January, Russian strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions reportedly
02:58left more than one million people without running water or heating. In Kriviri, 17 people, including children,
03:08were reportedly injured when missiles and drones hit residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
03:17And in the Odessa region, two people were reportedly killed and eight others injured in an attack on two ports.
03:25Cooking oil storage facilities and containers were damaged.
03:29Odessa was hit again yesterday. This was the latest in a highly concerning escalation of strikes targeting Ukraine's port infrastructure and commercial shipping.
03:41In recent weeks, civilian casualties and extensive damage to critical infrastructure have also been reported in Kherson, Donetsk,
03:52Kharkiv, and Sumi regions. In total, since the start of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022,
04:03the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has verified that at least 14,999 civilians have been killed,
04:13including 763 children, including 763 children, and 40,601 civilians injured, including 2,486 children.
04:25The actual figures are likely higher.
04:30OHCHR's monitoring mission in Ukraine has just reported that 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians since 2022.
04:40Mr. President, inside the Russian Federation, local authorities continue to report civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure resulting from alleged Ukrainian strikes.
04:56We are seeing additional reports of escalating cross-border attacks on Russia's oil and energy infrastructure,
05:03some of which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties and damage to civilian and residential facilities.
05:12In Belgrade Oblast, local authorities reported that 600,000 residents were left without electricity, heating, and water after Ukrainian strike on 9 January.
05:24The authorities also reported the use of drones, targeting Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions on 10 January,
05:34which left one person killed and at least three other people injured.
05:39Due to lack of access and limited public information, the United Nations is not in a position to verify these reports.
05:47Mr. President, we reiterate the Secretary-General's strong condemnation of all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
05:58Such attacks violate international humanitarian law.
06:03No matter where they occur, they are unacceptable, unjustifiable, and must stop immediately.
06:09Mr. President, as hostilities intensify, the situation at Ukraine's nuclear sites remains extremely precarious.
06:19On the night of 3 January, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Inzaparizia, temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation,
06:29lost power from one of its high-voltage lines due to hostilities.
06:34Over the past week, the team of the International Atomic Energy Agency at the site has reported a significant increase in military activity in the areas surrounding the plant,
06:48including explosions heard close to the facility.
06:53These events are extremely alarming.
06:56The IAEA continues its efforts to establish temporary ceasefire zones in the areas around the plant to allow for essential repair work to ensure it's safe and secure functioning.
07:09We urge both the Russian Federation and Ukraine to engage constructively with the IAEA
07:17and to immediately cease any military activities near the plant in order to reduce the risk of a catastrophic accident.
07:26Mr. President, in just over a month, we will mark four years since the start of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
07:36The war has brought untold suffering to the Ukrainian people, killed an unimaginable number of young men of both countries,
07:46caused global economic dislocation, and sown instability in the region and beyond.
07:51The damage it has done to the international system is still being measured.
07:58The war should never have started, and it must stop.
08:02We commend the efforts of the United States and all others concerned who are working towards peace.
08:10We urge all involved to sustain this vital work, including through concrete steps to de-escalate,
08:17stop the ongoing attacks impacting civilians in Ukraine and the Russian Federation,
08:22and establish clear parameters to end this devastating conflict.
08:26We reaffirm the Secretary General's repeated calls for an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire
08:34as a first step towards a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace grounded in respect for international law
08:42and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
08:45Any peace in Ukraine must fully uphold the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine
08:54within its internationally recognized borders.
08:58The United Nations remains ready to support all meaningful efforts toward this end.
09:03Thank you, Mr. President.
09:05Just days ago, U.S. diplomats met with EU and Ukrainian counterparts
09:09to advance negotiations toward a lasting peace.
09:13Thanks to the leadership of President Trump,
09:15we are closer to a deal now than at any point since the war began.
09:22Despite this, Russia launched more attacks on Ukraine,
09:27including its launch of its nuclear-capable Orishnik ballistic missile,
09:32targeting an area of Ukraine close to the border with Poland and NATO.
09:37This constitutes another dangerous and inexplicable escalation of this war,
09:44even as the United States is urgently working with Kyiv, other partners, and Moscow
09:50to end the war through a negotiated settlement.
09:54At a moment of tremendous potential due only to President Trump's unparalleled commitment
10:00to peace around the world, both sides should be seeking ways to de-escalate.
10:05Yet Russia's action risks expanding and intensifying the war.
10:11From the start, President Trump has decried the carnage of this conflict horribly.
10:17We have to continue to deplore the staggering number of casualties,
10:22service members and civilians, men, women, and children.
10:27We condemn Russia's continuing and intensifying attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities
10:35and other civilian infrastructure.
10:38These attacks make a mockery of the cause of peace,
10:42a cause of paramount importance to the world and to President Trump.
10:46I would like to remind the Russian Federation of its vote in favor of Security Council Resolution 2774 nearly one year ago.
10:57That resolution called for a swift end to the conflict and lasting peace.
11:02It would be nice if Russia matched their words with deeds.
11:06In the spirit of that resolution, Russia, Ukraine, and Europe must pursue peace seriously
11:13and bring this nightmare to an end.
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