Published on: 2026-09-23
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 23, 2026 Peace and Security
Speaking at a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine, Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding Rosemary DiCarlo stated that there is a “new, dangerous” phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Increase in the number of civilian casualties
“The attacks are intensifying every day. The number of civilian casualties is increasing. The scale of destruction is growing. The risk of the conflict spreading to the region is rising. And the consequences are felt far beyond the battlefield,” she said.
For weeks, Kyiv and other major cities and regions of the country have been subjected to almost daily attacks by Russia.
More civilians in Ukraine were killed and wounded in the first eight months of this year than in the entire year of 2025, the deputy secretary general reported.
“The large number of civilian casualties recorded in September indicates that this extremely disturbing trend continues. Long-range missile and drone strikes are increasingly being carried out against populated areas, including cities located far from the front line,” DiCarlo noted.
Since February 2022, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed the deaths of at least 17,257 Ukrainian civilians, including 835 children. Another 53,693 people, including 3,247 children, have been injured.
Russian authorities also report an increase in civilian casualties as a result of Ukrainian strikes on infrastructure facilities, including commercial warehouses, logistics centers, as well as oil and gas and industrial enterprises, Dickarlo noted.
“This past weekend, Moscow and other regions of the Russian Federation were subjected to the largest wave of attacks using drones to date,” she said.
According to Russian authorities, from January to August, 443 civilians were killed and 2,932 were injured in the Russian Federation, indicating a sharp increase compared to the same period last year.
“The norms of international humanitarian law are unequivocal: attacks on civilian population and civilian objects are prohibited. Such attacks—both on the territory of Ukraine and in the Russian Federation—are unacceptable and must be stopped immediately,” the Deputy Secretary-General stated.
Increasing attacks on energy infrastructure
Speaking about the strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure by Russia, including railway facilities, shopping centers, gas stations, warehouses, as well as food industry enterprises and logistics companies, Dicarlo emphasized that with winter approaching, “especially concerning are the increasing strikes on the already overloaded energy infrastructure.”
“The cumulative effect of these strikes could leave millions of people without electricity and heating in the coming months,” said DiCarlo.
She called for an end to attacks on energy infrastructure facilities and for the immediate implementation of a moratorium on any attacks on populated areas.
Attacks on humanitarian facilities
The situation is worsened by increasingly dangerous conditions in which humanitarian activities must be conducted, noted the Deputy Secretary-General. From January to July, 10 humanitarian staff members were killed in Ukraine, and nearly 40 people were injured.
Nineteen warehouses were damaged or completely destroyed, resulting in the loss of humanitarian aid worth millions of dollars.
Humanitarian convoys of the UN, including during operations to evacuate civilians, were subjected to strikes.
Risk of conflict escalation
Dicarlo expressed concerns about the possibility of further escalation of the conflict. She noted that Russian drones are increasingly found in the airspace of countries neighboring Ukraine or approaching it.
“Attacks on border crossings and transport-logistics infrastructure near international borders exacerbate these risks. In recent weeks, there have been reports of alarming incidents involving drones in the border areas of Ukraine adjacent to Moldova and Poland, as well as in Lithuania and Romania,” said the deputy secretary-general.
Threats to Global Food Security
Strikes on grain infrastructure, civilian vessels and ports, as well as serious disruptions to commercial shipping in the Black and Azov Seas have hindered the export of agricultural products from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation, DiCarlo reminded.
In August, the FAO Food Price Index rose again and reached its highest level since the end of 2022.
“The consequences of these prolonged disruptions will be felt most acutely by developing countries dependent on imports,” said the Deputy Secretary-General.
She recalled that the UN chief called on all interested parties to ensure freedom of navigation in accordance with international law, as well as to protect civilian ports and maritime infrastructure.
“The United Nations supports any efforts that contribute to ensuring the safe and predictable delivery of food and fertilizers to global markets,” DiCarlo stated.
Elections in the Occupied Territories
In accordance with the norms of international humanitarian law, “the Russian Federation, as an occupying power, is obligated to comply with the legislation of Ukraine in force in the territories it occupies,” the deputy secretary-general emphasized.
“The holding of elections to the State Duma by the Russian Federation last weekend in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine has no legal grounds,” she stated.
“Such actions cannot change the status of these territories under international law,” DiCarlo added.
Diplomatic efforts
The United Nations welcomes diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war, including the recent renewed involvement of the United States in this process.
“We once again call to double diplomatic efforts aimed at an immediate, complete, and unconditional ceasefire, which will be the first step towards a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace,” said DiCarlo.
“The United Nations is ready to support any constructive efforts in this direction,” she added.
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