Miroslav Vientcha, a delegate speaking to the United Nations Security Council, told members that fighting in Ukraine has intensified over the past three weeks and that "unrelenting large scale Russian aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns" have produced a marked rise in civilian casualties.

The U.N. briefing reported that on the night of June 16–17 drones and missiles struck seven districts in Kyiv, killing at least 28 civilians and injuring more than 130, and that rescue workers spent the night trying to free people trapped under a partially destroyed nine-story residential building. "Many people are still reported missing under the rubble of the 35 apartments destroyed that night," Vientcha said, adding that the strikes also affected Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv and Kyiv Oblast and that more than 428 drones and missiles were reported used in those attacks.

The briefing cited U.N. and Ukrainian figures on civilian harm. "According to OHCHR, since the start of Russia's illegal full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, at least 13,438 civilians, including 713 children, have been killed," Vientcha said; the U.N. figure for the total number of civilians injured was given as 33,279, including 2,092 children. He added that in the first five months of 2025 the number of civilian casualties totaled 5,144, with 859 killed and 4,285 injured, a figure the briefing said was 47% higher than in the same period of 2024.

According to the briefing, Ukrainian authorities reported that in 2025 to date Russian forces launched at least 3,340 long-range drones (including loitering munitions and decoys) and 135 missiles into Ukraine; by comparison, the briefing said, 544 long-range munitions were launched during the entire month of June 2024. The statement also noted reports of incidents affecting border regions of the Russian Federation, including an account that local authorities in Kursk region said a woman died after being injured in a strike and that a September incident there reportedly killed a 60-year-old man and injured five others — reports the United Nations said it cannot independently verify.

Vientcha reiterated the U.N. position on attacks on civilians and infrastructure, quoting the briefing: "Let me once again, unequivocally state, attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law wherever they occur. We condemn all such attacks. They must cease immediately." He also reported diplomatic developments: a June 2 face-to-face meeting in Istanbul between Ukrainian and Russian delegations that produced written memoranda and an agreement on phased exchanges of prisoners of war, mortal remains and civilian detainees. The briefing said exchanges have continued in phases and that, as of June 16, the mortal remains of 6,057 Ukrainian service members and 78 Russian service members had been returned.

The U.N. statement urged continued diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire and a lasting settlement in line with the U.N. Charter and relevant U.N. resolutions and said the U.N. stands ready to support meaningful efforts toward that goal. The briefing concluded with an appeal to sustain attention on the humanitarian needs and to try to make the fragile diplomatic process irreversible.

The remarks summarized above were delivered as part of a Security Council briefing; the U.N. noted where it could not independently verify reports attributed to local or national authorities.