UN briefing says missile and drone strikes on Ukraine have intensified, cites rising civilian toll and nuclear safety risks

Miroslav Yansha, speaking at a United Nations Security Council briefing, said Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns have intensified, producing "devastating consequences for the civilian population" and a rising verified toll of civilian casualties.

The briefing summarized recent battlefield and humanitarian developments and called for an immediate ceasefire, heightened attention to nuclear safety near Ukraine's power plants, and sustained international support for recovery and reconstruction.

Yansha cited figures from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), saying that in June civilian casualties in Ukraine reached a three‑year high and that "in the first half of the year alone, 6,754 civilians were killed or injured." He told the Council that OHCHR has verified at least 13,580 civilians killed, including 716 children, and 34,115 civilians injured, including 2,173 children, since the beginning of the Russian Federation’s full‑scale invasion.

According to Ukrainian authorities quoted in the briefing, the Russian Federation launched thousands of long‑range munitions in recent months; the statement reported at least 5,183 long‑range strikes in July and a record number of long‑range drones in September. Yansha said Kyiv and the port city of Odesa had been…