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 particularly hard hit by recent daily attacks, describing "massive swarms of hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles," and noting attacks on hospitals, schools, energy and transport infrastructure, and residential buildings.

Yansha gave specific recent incidents: a 21 July strike in Kyiv that reportedly damaged a metro station used as a shelter, set a kindergarten on fire and hit a multistory residential building; a November drone strike in Kharkiv that reportedly damaged a maternity ward and forced mothers and newborns to flee; and a 24 June nationwide drone and missile attack that reportedly struck a passenger train, damaged more than 40 schools and kindergartens, a cathedral, eight medical centers and hospitals, and multiple residential buildings, with at least 21 reported killed and more than 300 injured. He said similar devastation occurred again during a record attack on 29 June.

The briefing also flagged reported cross‑border incidents inside the Russian Federation. Quoting Russian official claims, Yansha said Ukrainian drone attacks have been reported to produce civilian casualties in Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Lipetsk and Tula regions and that Moscow and Saint Petersburg had experienced drone‑related disruptions to air traffic. He added that the United Nations "is not in a position to verify these reported incidents in the Russian Federation, including any reports of civilian casualties."

On nuclear safety, Yansha warned that intensified aerial attacks and fighting ‘‘continue to pose a significant threat to the safety and security of Ukraine’s nuclear sites.’’ He cited a reported attack on Enerhodar city hall, where many staff of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant live, and referenced International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concerns after the Zaporizhzhia plant reportedly lost all off‑site power for several hours. "Any nuclear incident must be avoided at all costs," he said.

Turning to recovery and diplomacy, Yansha said the total cost of reconstruction and recovery had been assessed at about $524,000,000,000 and that this month’s Ukraine recovery conference in Rome resulted in more than $11,000,000,000 in pledged funding. He quoted Acting UNDP administrator Hou Liangshu, saying the United Nations remained committed to supporting reconstruction, including advancing green energy, mine action and community resilience.

Yansha welcomed continued direct contacts between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, noting the two sides met in Istanbul for a third round of talks this year and that reported progress had been made on the humanitarian track, including exchanges of prisoners and mortal remains. He said that since May, following earlier rounds in Istanbul, the two sides had reportedly exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war and more than 7,000 mortal remains.

The briefing closed with reference to a Security Council resolution adopted unanimously earlier in the week that, according to Yansha, reaffirms that states "shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means" and underscores the importance of the "full, equal and meaningful participation of women and meaningful participation of youth in dispute‑resolution efforts." He reiterated the UN position that diplomacy must be reinforced by political will and said the UN stands ready to support efforts toward a lasting peace that respects Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

"We strongly condemn all such attacks wherever they occur. They must end immediately," Yansha said.

The briefing noted that Assistant Secretary‑General Joyce Musuya of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) would provide further updates on humanitarian impacts, according to Yansha.

Votes at a glance: the Council unanimously adopted a resolution referenced in the briefing; the transcript did not provide a resolution number or roll‑call vote tally in the quoted remarks.