WASHINGTON
A UN official on Friday urged an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, citing over 13,500 casualties since the start of the war in February 2022.
"With only one week since our last briefing to this Council on the situation in Ukraine, we are meeting again as the Russian Federation continues its brutal attacks across the country," Miroslav Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas, virtually told the Security Council.
Jenca cited the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to report that 13,580 people have been killed and 34,115 more injured since the war began until June 30.
The UN is also concerned about the growing impact of reported Ukrainian strikes on the civilian population in Russia, he said, reiterating that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law and "must stop immediately, wherever they occur."
"We continue to urge the sides to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law in their treatment of prisoners of war.
"We also encourage them to continue the exchanges to bring all prisoners home," Jenca said.
Noting that Ukrainian people have endured nearly three and a half years of "unimaginable horrors," death, devastation, and destruction, he said they "urgently need relief from this nightmare."
"We therefore reiterate our urgent call for an immediate, unconditional, and complete ceasefire to pave the way towards a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace," he said.
Jenca underlined that the peace should be in line with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions in full respect of the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
"The United Nations remains ready to support all meaningful efforts to this end," he stressed.