The head of United Nations Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, analyzed the situation in Ukraine at a Security Council meeting and expressed concern about civilians, but also about Russia’s increasing attacks on food and energy infrastructure.
The missile attack in Groza last week was “one of the deadliest against civilians” since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the official highlighted, adding that UN experts had identified 35 of those killed: 19 women, 15 men and a child .
Rosemary DiCarlo pointed out that the site of the attack, where there was a store and a cafe, was “civil in nature”, as was the site with “housing buildings” in the city of Kharkiv, where another missile fell less than 24 hours ago and killed a woman and a child, his grandson.
The attacks “are rising to an unbearable number of civilian deaths” as a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which as of October 5 had claimed 9,806 lives, including 560 children, according to a verified count from the Office of the High Commissioner for Rights. Humans, cited by DiCarlo.
“The actual numbers are likely considerably higher and will continue to rise if these patterns continue. In fact, in recent weeks, civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine have been under constant fire,” she stressed.
The diplomat also expressed concern about Russian attacks on food infrastructure, which, combined with Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea initiative, not only destroy “the livelihoods of Ukrainians, but affect millions of food-insecure people around the world.” .
Most members of the UN Security Council expressed solidarity with Ukraine, including China, whose representative acknowledged the strong civilian impact of the attack in Groza.
Russia maintained its usual line and focused on attacking what it considers “anti-Russian” or “Russophobic” sentiments on the part of Western countries and insisted that “Russia is not bombing civilian objects nor is it targeting civilians”, but rather uses “high-precision weapons to destroy only the military capabilities” of Ukraine.
Regarding the attack in Groza, the Russian ambassador, Vasili Nebenzia, indicated that at the time of the attack “there was a funeral of a high-ranking Ukrainian nationalist” which was attended by accomplices.
The representative of Ukraine, Sergiy Kyslytsya, assured that they were “civilians and local residents who were paying tribute to a fallen Ukrainian soldier”.
*With Lusa
