U.N. Secretary-General urges immediate cease-fire, calls for scaled-up aid as civilian casualties rise in Ukraine

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the U.N. Security Council that he was renewing an appeal for “a full, comprehensive, and sustainable ceasefire” in Ukraine and urged donors to scale up contributions to the humanitarian response after months of intensified fighting that has increased civilian casualties and damaged critical infrastructure.

Guterres said the council and the General Assembly previously adopted resolutions calling for an end to the war and noted that diplomatic engagement has continued, including direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul that resulted in the return of hundreds of prisoners of war. He said, however, that negotiations have not produced a cease-fire and that continued fighting undermines diplomacy and raises the risks of wider escalation.

"Attack against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law. They must stop now," Guterres said, citing a surge in the number of Russian missiles and drones striking Ukrainian cities and towns and saying recent months have produced some of the highest numbers of civilian casualties since the war began. He gave verified figures of more than 14,000 civilians killed and more than 36,000 injured, and said those figures reflect confirmed cases only.

Guterres warned that damage to essential services has been severe, saying access to water, electricity, health care and education in Ukraine has been disrupted and that "massive strikes on energy infrastructure threatened to plunge millions into darkness and cold." He singled out threats to nuclear sites as "deeply concerning," specifically naming the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and urging all parties to uphold their responsibilities to protect its safety and security.

The secretary-general said the United Nations remains mobilized to provide lifesaving aid and appealed to donors to increase funding for the humanitarian response plan. He also urged that parties ensure "safe and impeded humanitarian access to reach the most vulnerable wherever they are." Guterres noted the conflict's regional implications as he marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, saying recent incidents in neighboring countries underscore the risk of further expansion.

Guterres reiterated that the United Nations is committed to supporting all meaningful diplomatic efforts to end the war and to build "a future of dignity, security, and peace for all."