New York, UN
During a recent briefing at the United Nations, Kayoko Gotoh, Director for the Europe and Central Asia Division, highlighted the escalating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine amidst ongoing military actions by the Russian Federation. She stated that the situation has worsened significantly since the last briefing held a month ago.
According to Gotoh, millions of civilians in Ukraine are under severe threat as Russian attacks intensify on both population centers and critical infrastructure. Notable incidents include a November 2 attack in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, where at least 55 people were killed and five injured when a school functioning as a shelter and humanitarian distribution site was struck. Additionally, she reported that 45 people remain missing in the debris.
The following night, a Russian airstrike targeted a hospital complex in Kharkiv, injuring at least 73 individuals. On the same day, a missile strike in Dnipro destroyed a hospice, necessitating the evacuation of terminally ill and elderly patients.
Earlier attacks also took place on October 29, when a drone strike in Dnipro killed 15 people at a crowded train platform, and a drone attack in Chernihiv resulted in the deaths of two 15-year-old girls along with 37 other injuries, including five children. Further civilian casualties were reported in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Izium, Kharkiv region, and Kyiv. Recent weekends have seen new attacks in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Poltava, and Odesa regions.
Gotoh reiterated the Secretary-General’s condemnation of these assaults, stating that civilian casualties are reaching record levels. In September alone, at least 328 civilians were killed and 2,105 wounded, marking an 85 percent increase compared to the same month last year. Preliminary analysis suggests that October’s casualty figures may be comparable.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on Ukraine, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified at least 17,968 civilian deaths, including 874 children, and over 57,713 injuries, with actual numbers likely being higher.
Gotoh also expressed concern over reports of casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure resulting from Ukrainian strikes within the Russian Federation. Russian authorities reported that at least 53 people were killed and 462 injured in September due to these actions.
Additionally, recent Ukrainian drone strikes have targeted Russian cities, resulting in civilian deaths in the Leningrad Region and Kursk. Attacks on industrial facilities have also been reported, including a strike on October 30 that killed at least two people in the Samara region.
Looking ahead, Gotoh emphasized the urgent need to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, particularly as winter approaches. From October 30 to November 2, Russian strikes damaged multiple key energy facilities, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity and water, disrupting public transport services in major cities like Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk. Further strikes over the weekend reportedly left another 600,000 people without power.
International concerns regarding attacks on nuclear facilities were raised, particularly regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which was left without a stable external power supply following recent military activity in the area.
Gotoh addressed the broader implications of the conflict, noting disruptions to commercial shipping in the Black Sea affecting global food security. Recent attacks targeting container ships and incidents in neighboring countries, including Bulgaria and Romania, illustrate the conflict’s regional impact.
In light of ongoing violence, Gotoh acknowledged the recent six-day local ceasefire in Oleshky, Kherson, as a potential model for future humanitarian efforts, commending various diplomatic actors involved in its establishment. She urged all parties to pursue tangible progress in the upcoming trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.
In her closing remarks, Gotoh reiterated the need for an immediate, complete ceasefire, stressing its necessity for a just, lasting resolution in line with international law. She affirmed the ongoing commitment of the United Nations to support diplomatic efforts.
