HAMILTON, Canada
The UN on Monday warned that civilian casualties in Ukraine have surged dramatically in February this year, with violence intensifying rather than easing more than four years into Russia's full-scale invasion.
It is over four years since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, nearly 1500 days of death, destruction and despair. And today, far from abating, the violence is worse than ever," said the UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo at a UN Security Council session on Ukraine.
DiCarlo reported that in February alone, "at least 188 civilians were killed and 757 injured, a 45% increase compared to the same period last year," with attacks continuing into the current month.
Noting the dire picture of Ukraine's battered infrastructure, she warned that over the winter, damage to the country's energy grid had brought it "to the brink of total collapse."
According to Ukrainian authorities, she said, "60% gas production capacity has been destroyed, and all the country's power stations are damaged, leading to persistent disruptions in electricity, heating and water across the country."
Pointing to the war's destruction in Ukraine, DiCarlo also highlighted the mine contamination and stressed that "the scale of mine contamination in the country is one of the largest globally."
She said: "Approximately 132,076 square kilometers of land remain potentially contaminated by explosive hazards" as of the end of 2025.
While welcoming recent prisoner exchanges, she said 657 Ukrainian and 657 Russian prisoners of war have returned to their families in February and March, adding that "the longer the war lasts, the deadlier it becomes, with growing risks to regional and international security."
"A full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire is imperative," she added.
Echoing DiCarlo's alarm, UN relief chief Tom Fletcher warned that "civilian casualties in Ukraine far exceed" levels last year, with civilians continuing to face "waves of drone and missile strikes, destroying homes, schools, and hospitals."
Fletcher called on member states to uphold international humanitarian law, insisting on "protection of civilians and the essential infrastructure on which they rely to survive."
He also demanded "safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need, wherever they are, including across front lines."
On funding, Fletcher warned that the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan "requires $2 billion to reach 3.6 million of the most vulnerable people with food, heating, medical care, and protection," cautioning that "nearly three-quarters is unfunded."