MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - The UN Security Council met on Monday amid a sharp escalation in hostilities across Ukraine, and UN officials warned that the war has reached its deadliest point since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Briefing members, Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for political affairs, said recent months had seen some of the most extensive aerial attacks of the conflict, while the humanitarian toll on civilians continued to mount on both sides of the front line.
DiCarlo cited a recent surge in missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, with dozens killed and hundreds injured, while also noting deadly incidents in Russian-controlled areas and ongoing concerns over nuclear safety, humanitarian access and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.
The briefing underscored growing alarm that the conflict is escalating rather than moving toward peace. Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Indrika Ratwatte said 10.8 million people need humanitarian assistance, but funding remains far short of requirements. Many Council members warned that repeated attacks on civilians risk normalizing violations of international humanitarian law and further destabilizing global food and energy markets.
Most Council members called for an immediate ceasefire, renewed diplomacy and support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal last week for negotiations. Western countries argued Moscow cannot achieve its objectives militarily and condemned continued attacks on civilians.
Russia rejected those accusations, insisting that it targets military sites, and accused Ukraine's supporters of selective outrage. The meeting ended with no breakthrough, but with broad agreement that the war's human toll is worsening and that diplomacy remains urgently needed.
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