Hours after the Russian Federation began launching a barrage of missile and drone attacks against civilians and vital infrastructure across Ukraine overnight, a senior official from the UN denounced such attacks and demanded that they cease, highlighting to the Security Council that they are forbidden by international humanitarian law as that 15-nation body held an emergency meeting on the subject today, a press release from UN reads.
The massive attacks against civilians and vital infrastructure are still occurring throughout Ukraine, according to Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Kyiv and other cities around the nation were horrified by a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks last night. She cited concerns that the winter will be disastrous for millions of Ukrainians who could be left without heating, electricity, or water in the face of subzero temperatures, saying that Ukrainian officials stated that there were virtually no greater thermal or hydroelectric power plants still in one piece in Ukraine.
She then addressed the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and demanded an immediate cease to all military operations at and near the facility, highlighting how dangerous and repugnant the alleged weekend shelling of the facility was. She did, however, highlight a good development “despite the grim news of today,” stating that the parties reported today another prisoner exchange and urging them to keep releasing prisoners and make sure they are in compliance with international law.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, spoke to the Council via teleconference and argued that it is clearly a crime against humanity when tens of millions of people are without heat and water due to Russian missiles hitting energy facilities when the outside temperature is below zero.
He also spoke about the 70 missiles fired into Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which damaged hospitals, schools, and transportation, and the midnight rocket attack on a hospital that killed a 2-day-old baby.
