Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific Khaled Khiari
Remarks to the Security Council on Ukraine
New York, 20 April 2026
Madam President,
Since we last briefed this Council on developments in Ukraine, we have seen an alarming escalation of fighting, while there was no significant diplomatic progress.
Russian attacks continue to intensify, with mounting civilian casualties and devastation across Ukraine.
On 9 April, following Ukraine’s earlier proposal of an Easter ceasefire, the Russian Federation announced a 32-hour Easter truce from 11 to 12 April. Ukraine responded that it would reciprocate.
We welcome any initiative, even a limited one, that would bring a respite for the civilian population.
We regret, however, that this temporary pause in fighting, that could have allowed a peaceful celebration of Orthodox Easter, was not respected.
Hostilities close to the frontlines, and resulting civilian casualties, were reported throughout the holiday weekend.
Attacks quickly escalated thereafter.
Three consecutive nights of Russian aerial strikes between 13 and 16 April targeted multiple regions across Ukraine and resulted in dozens of civilians killed and injured.
On the night from 15 to 16 April, the Russian Federation launched its deadliest attack so far this year, targeting Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
In the cities of Odesa and Dnipro, residential buildings were hit, reportedly killing at least nine and five people, respectively.
In total across the country, at least 20 people, including at least one child, were reportedly killed and dozens more injured by this attack.
Madam President,
Of greatest concern is the ever-increasing loss of civilian life resulting from continuing attacks.
Last month alone, at least 211 civilians were killed and 1,206 injured in Ukraine, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
In total, since February 2022, OHCHR has verified that at least 15,578 Ukrainian civilians, including 784 children, have been killed. Another 43,352, including 2,668 children, have been injured.
In the Russian Federation, local authorities, including in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions bordering Ukraine, have reported increasing civilian casualties.
In one of the latest incidents, on 16 April, a woman and a teenage girl were reportedly killed in a Ukrainian strike in Krasnodar region of the Russian Federation.
Madam President,
Ukraine’s critical civilian infrastructure continues to be hit.
Ukraine’s Danube and Black Sea ports were reportedly targeted over the past month. These ports are critical to enable the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, at a time of increasing concern over global food insecurity.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure have also continued, including today.
In central Lviv, UNESCO heritage sites with immeasurable historic and cultural value have once again come under fire. As of March 2026, UNESCO has verified damages to a total of 519 cultural sites since the start of the war.
Civilian and energy infrastructure in the Russian Federation has also reportedly been hit during this period.
Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
They must stop immediately, wherever they occur.
Madam President,
We welcome the exchange of prisoners of war that brought home 175 service members and seven civilians from each side on 11 April. 163 of the returned Ukrainians had reportedly been held captive since 2022.
In interviews conducted by OHCHR, many recently released Ukrainian prisoners reported that instances of torture had decreased or ceased in 2025 and 2026. However, all of them said that they had been subjected to torture or ill-treatment during their captivity.
We remind each side of their obligations under international humanitarian law in their treatment of prisoners of war.
And we again urge the Russian Federation to grant the United Nations unimpeded access to all detainees.
The latest prisoner exchange was the 72nd since the start of the war. We commend all involved in facilitating these exchanges and urge the efforts to continue - for the sake of those held captive and their relatives.
Madam President,
We urge all involved to redouble their efforts to return all deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.
The United Nations is committed to supporting this critical and urgent work.
As part of these efforts and the implementation of her mandate, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict has just concluded her first visit to Ukraine.
Madam President,
On Sunday 26 April, we will mark 40 years since the devastating Chornobyl disaster - the most serious nuclear accident to ever occur, the impact of which is still felt today.
This anniversary also serves as a warning of the scale of destruction we could witness in case of another incident, intended or unintended, while the war continues to endanger Ukraine’s nuclear sites, especially the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant - the largest nuclear facility in Europe.
It is imperative that all military activities near nuclear sites cease immediately.
We also urge both sides to fully cooperate with the ongoing efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure safe and secure operations of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, including its access to uninterrupted power supply.
Madam President,
Five years in, the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to test international law, drive deepening divisions, and undermine the broader rules-based multilateral order.
Beyond the immediate conflict zone, the war has heightened regional tensions and insecurity, with drones reportedly sighted this month in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland.
We must remain steadfast in our commitment to ending this war, guided by the principles and obligations set out in the UN Charter.
Building on the efforts undertaken by the United States, it is essential that the international community maintain sustained attention and coordinated diplomatic engagement aimed at securing a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Such efforts must lay the foundations for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in accordance with the UN Charter, international law and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.
We cannot afford the risk of the conflict spiraling out of control with even higher human cost and unpredictable consequences for us all.
The United Nations stands ready to support all meaningful initiatives that can help bring an end to the suffering and advance the prospects for peace.
Thank you, Madam President.
