Members of the UN Security Council condemned Russia's "terrible attacks" on Ukraine and demanded an immediate end to the aggression. The urgent evening meeting of the UN Security Council was held at the request of Ukraine and about 30 other UN member states due to the largest missile attack by Russia.
Official sources report losses as a result of Russian strikes, where 158 weapons were used, including 122 missiles and 36 drones. It is noted that the attack took place in numerous Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson and Dnipro, as a result of which 31 civilians were killed and more than 160 people were injured.
Poland also reported a possible passage of a Russian missile through its airspace before returning to Ukraine. Malta demanded that Russia "immediately cease all military actions" and "completely withdraw all its forces."
Mohamed Khaled Hiyari, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Ocean, announced at the meeting of the Security Council of the United Nations that Russia has again carried out attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Residential buildings, schools, maternity homes, kindergartens, parks, subways and shopping centers, as well as energy infrastructure, are among the objects affected. As a result of damage to power grids, power outages occurred in several regions.
"Attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure violate international humanitarian law, they are unacceptable and must be stopped immediately," Hiyari emphasized. He expressed sadness at the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, and noted that Ukrainians are again forced to face fear and the destruction of their homes during the holidays.
Hiyari recalled the condemning position of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who previously demanded an immediate end to Russia's missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. According to him, Russia's military actions have resulted in a large number of victims among the civilian population.
The representative of Albania at the UN condemned Russia for the deliberate destruction of civilian objects and the attempt to subjugate Ukrainians. He believes that the Kremlin is trying to subjugate the nation and continue to inflict more pain on those who have been attacked in the past two years.
The representative of Malta demanded that Russia immediately stop all military actions and completely withdraw its forces from Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders. She also recalled Russia's constant missile attack on Ukraine and expressed support for Ukraine's right to self-defense in accordance with the UN Charter.
The representative of China called on the parties to the conflict to respond positively to the international community's calls for peace and expand the common language for an immediate end to the war.
Representatives of the USA, Great Britain, France, Japan and the European Union clearly identified Russia as an aggressor and expressed support for Ukraine in defense against aggression. They rejected the idea of "both sides of the conflict" and emphasized the need to stop Russian aggression and withdraw all forces from Ukraine.
The American diplomat recalled that the UN Security Council previously determined that attacks on civilian infrastructure are a gross violation of international law and international substantive law, and the perpetrators were appointed to be held accountable.
"The United States supports Ukraine and will continue to call for accountability for the crimes of Russian officials and troops against the people of Ukraine. We will not leave without protection the brave people of Ukraine, who today are fighting for their freedom, for their country and the values and principles set forth in the UN Charter," said the US representative.
The British representative at the UN, Barbara Woodward, noted that the Russian attacks, although shocking each time, fit into a long-known scenario, when missiles, drones and artillery are directed against the civilian population.
The representative of Great Britain emphasized that without the Ukrainian air defense systems supported by the international community, the number of victims would be much higher. She emphasized her country's readiness to continue supporting the Ukrainian military by sending hundreds of missiles to restock air defense systems protecting Ukraine from Russian attacks.
The representative of the European Union, present at the meeting of the UN Security Council, promised to provide assistance to the recovery of Ukraine after the Russian attacks and to intensify humanitarian aid and civil defense support, as well as to ensure the stability of its energy sector during the winter.
The representative of Russia continued to make accusations against Ukraine, calling its leadership a "junta" and "Nazis". Accusing Ukraine of destroying civilian objects, he claimed that Russian attacks were aimed only at military infrastructure, and that all destruction and civilian casualties were the fault of Ukrainian air defense systems.
The representative of Ukraine at the UN, noting the presence of representatives of the "Putin regime", recognized their capacity to act and noted that trust in the UN Security Council is undermined by their presence.
Kyslytsia noted that Russia shows no intention of ending the war, and the Kremlin regime acts in unity with Russian society, which is considered "brainwashed." According to him, Russian society is filled with hatred for most of the world, including Ukraine, and refuses the policy of appeasement.
Kyslytsia indicated that as long as Russia has the resources, it will continue its aggressive attacks on Ukraine, aimed not only at the country, but also at the global security architecture and international order based on the UN Charter. The representative of Ukraine called on the international community to limit Russia's ability to produce weapons, finance military aggression and pose a threat to the world order.
Western officials and analysts have warned in recent weeks that Russia may increase the number of massive strikes over the winter in hopes of overcoming Ukrainian resistance, after scaling back cruise missile strikes in previous months to build stockpiles. This led to the "largest air attack" on the night of December 29, noted Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk.
