The U.N. Security Council met on Monday (January 12) as United Nations officials warned that Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during a deep winter freeze, leaving millions without heat, electricity and water. U.N. political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the council that Russian strikes have escalated as temperatures plunge far below freezing, killing and injuring civilians and disproportionately affecting the elderly, children and people with limited mobility. DiCarlo said the attacks followed a troubling pattern, intensifying when weather conditions worsen and civilian need for heating becomes most acute. The United States said the attacks came even as diplomatic efforts were underway to negotiate an end to the war. U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the U.N. Tammy Bruce told the council that Washington was closer to a peace deal than at any point since the conflict began, but said Russia had escalated by launching a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile near the Polish and NATO border.
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
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