The United Nations Organization (UN) warned on Thursday of the risk of a “catastrophic winter” for millions of Ukrainians after the latest “relentless and widespread attacks” by Russia against civilians and important infrastructure.
In another meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in Ukraine, and called urgently, the UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding, Rosemary DiCarlo, gave details about the new wave of Russian attacks with use of missiles and drones. which, last night, terrorized the inhabitants of kyiv, Odessa, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia, and which left at least four dead and 30 injured.
“As Ukrainians desperately sought shelter from the shelling, they also had to deal with freezing temperatures. Indeed, these latest attacks renew fears that this winter will be catastrophic for millions of Ukrainians, who face the prospect of cold months without heating. , electricity, water or other basic services,” DiCarlo said.
“Even before the latest attacks, the Ukrainian authorities reported that there were practically no intact large thermal or hydroelectric power plants in Ukraine. Today’s shelling is likely to further worsen the situation,” the UN representative said.
DiCarlo made it clear that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law and urged Russia to “immediately cease these actions.”
“There has to be responsibility for violating the laws of war,” he insisted.
Following Rosemary DiCarlo, it was the turn of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to speak – by video call – before the diplomatic corps, having called for “justice within the UN structures” to be restored, criticizing the fact that Russia, as responsible “for all this terror”, he continues to have veto power in the Security Council, where he has blocked all attempts to act against his aggression.
“We cannot be held hostage by an international terrorist,” he said, referring to Moscow.
Zelensky also denounced before the UN “crimes against humanity” after the new Russian attacks on infrastructure in Ukraine.
“With sub-zero temperatures, several million people without power, without heat and without water, this is obviously a crime against humanity,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian head of state also took advantage of the meeting to ask his allies to provide him with more anti-aircraft and anti-missile defenses in response to these latest attacks carried out by Russia, which he accused of trying to destroy the country’s energy infrastructure to make millions suffer. of people during winter.
kyiv’s allies have made similar accusations, such as US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being “determined to reduce Ukraine’s power facilities to rubble.”
“Putin’s motive could not be clearer and colder. He is clearly using the winter as a weapon to inflict immense suffering on the Ukrainian people. He has decided that if he cannot take Ukraine by force, he will try to freeze the country into submission “. the diplomat assessed.
The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has already caused the flight of more than 13 million people -more than six million internally displaced persons and more than 7.8 million to European countries-, according to the most recent data. from the ONU.
The Russian invasion was condemned by the broader international community, which has responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and economic sanctions on Russia.
The UN presented as confirmed since the start of the war 6,595 dead civilians and 10,189 wounded, stressing that these figures are far below the real ones.
Source: TSF
