UN Briefing: Horrific Destruction in Ukraine Amidst Renewed Russian Attacks

Intensified Russian Aerial Attacks

• 💥 The start of the new year has brought no peace to Ukraine, with the Russian Federation launching large-scale aerial assaults targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
• 🎯 These attacks have resulted in horrific levels of destruction and suffering, with temperatures plummeting and the Russian Federation intensifying systematic attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
• ⚡ Strikes have killed and injured civilians, depriving millions of electricity, heating, and water, disproportionately affecting the elderly, children, and persons with limited mobility.
• 📈 Attacks escalate with worsening weather, increasing the need for heating, following a troubling pattern.

Specific Attacks and Infrastructure Damage

• 🚀 Overnight between January 8-9, Russia reportedly launched 242 drones and 36 missiles against Ukraine.
• 🏥 In Kyiv, at least four people were killed and 25 injured, including a paramedic in a "double-tap" strike; energy facilities and residential buildings were damaged, leaving hundreds of thousands without heating.
• ⚠️ A Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile, the "Oreshnik", was reportedly fired at the Lviv region, a weapon believed capable of carrying nuclear weapons, damaging gas distribution pipelines.
• 🚢 On January 8, two foreign-flagged civilian vessels were hit by Russian drones in the Odessa region, and subsequent strikes on January 17 in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia regions left over a million people without water or heating.
• ⚓ Odessa was hit again recently, marking an escalation targeting port infrastructure and commercial shipping.

Civilian Casualties and International Law

• 💔 Since February 2022, at least 14,999 civilians have been killed and 40,611 injured in Ukraine, with 2025 being the deadliest year for civilians since 2022.
• ⚖️ Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law and are unacceptable, unjustifiable, and must stop immediately.
• 🌐 The UN reiterates the Secretary-General's condemnation of all such attacks, regardless of where they occur.

Nuclear Site Precariousness and Call for Peace

• ☢️ The situation at Ukraine's nuclear sites remains extremely precarious, with the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant losing power from a high voltage line due to hostilities.
• 🚨 Increased military activity and explosions near the plant are alarming, and the IAEA is working to establish ceasefire zones to prevent a catastrophic accident.
• 🕊️ The war, nearing its four-year mark, has caused untold suffering, global economic dislocation, and instability, and must stop.
• 🤝 The UN commends peace efforts and urges all involved to deescalate, cease attacks, and establish parameters for a just, lasting peace respecting international law, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.