Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Janša, addressing the Security Council on Monday, expressed particular concern over attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches. Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Janša is responsible for UN political and peacekeeping affairs.
Drones, Deaths and Destruction Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Janša said that in the month of September, at least 208 people were killed and 1,220 people were injured in Ukraine. Thus, September has proved to be the deadliest month of this year in terms of casualties. Overall, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, 11 thousand 973 civilians have been killed so far, including 622 are children. According to the United Nations Human Rights Office – OHCHR, the number of people injured during this period is 25 thousand 943, of which 1,686 are children. Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jensa said that every day there are reports of casualties and damage to civil infrastructure in Ukraine. The biggest damage is being done in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and deserted regions. He said that just during the past weekend, there have been several attacks in Zaporizhia and Crimea, in which many people were injured. Due to the continuous attacks, forced eviction orders have been issued to people in the Kharkiv region, affecting about 7 thousand people. Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jansa said that 130 drone attacks were carried out in Kyiv on 16 October. Additionally, there have been similar attacks on the cities of Lviv and Odessa in the south, with multiple casualties reported. They also expressed concern about the impact of the ongoing fighting on the Russian-Ukrainian border. The Security Council has been informed that Russia has also attacked Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea in recent weeks. According to local authorities, since September 1, six ships and grain storage facilities in the port have been damaged. This has caused wheat prices to increase by 6 percent between September 1 and October 14, while the risk to Ukrainian exporters has increased. There has also been an increase in insurance, which has affected the agricultural sector. Miroslav Janša reminded the ambassadors present in the Security Council that agricultural exports passing through the Black Sea Guaranteeing the safety and stability of cargo is vital to global food security. In this regard, the United Nations, along with Ukraine, Russia and Turkey, has supported the free and safe passage of ships through this vital route. He also maintained constant communication with other stakeholders. Attacks on Energy Infrastructure He said that Russia’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have become a horrific and horrific scar of this war. The widespread damage to infrastructure and resulting widespread disruptions to these services is expected to severely impact millions of Ukrainians in the coming winter. This will be the third severe winter since the war began. “People in vulnerable situations, including the elderly, disabled people and internally displaced people, are expected to be disproportionately affected,” he warned. “Many people may find themselves sheltering from the cold in their own homes, without heat and other essential services.” Humanitarian assistance has been provided to about 72 lakh people during 8 months. Expressing concern, he also said that the United Nations aid agencies, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk And aid has not been able to reach about 15 lakh people in Zaporizhia regions. These areas are currently under Russian control. Miroslav Janša has expressed serious concerns about the systematic and large-scale torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war. He also has concerns about the security of Ukraine’s nuclear sites. Expressed, especially the situation of the nuclear power plant located in Zaporizhia is very sensitive.