Civilian casualties between January and November were 24 percent higher than during the same period last year, he said, as Russian airstrikes intensified across the country.
Local authorities in Russia have also reported civilian casualties from the Ukrainian attacks.
Ms. Gotoh stressed that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law “no matter where they occur, are unacceptable and must stop.”
Civilians under attack
Recent missile and drone attacks have repeatedly disrupted energy and transportation systems in multiple regions.
On the night of December 5-6 alone, dozens of civilians were injured and hundreds of thousands were left without electricity and basic services after large-scale attacks in ten regions.
Since February 2022, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) has verified at least 14,775 civilian deaths in Ukraine, including 755 children, and another 39,322 injuries. It is feared that the true number of victims is much higher.
Attacks were also reported in the Black Sea region, including Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil tankers and the port of Temryuk on the Sea of Azov, while Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian port of Odessa.
Systematic attack on civilian life
Beyond the immediate victims, the destruction of energy and heating systems is pushing entire communities into crisis.
“Systematic attacks on energy infrastructure in the dead of winter threaten to leave millions of people without heat, water and reliable public transport,” Ms Gotoh warned, noting that older people and people with disabilities are being trapped in high-rise buildings without working lifts.
Repair crews struggle to keep up. Rolling blackouts lasting 12 to 18 hours are reducing heat and water to entire apartment blocks in several regions.
“People can survive without electricity for a while, but not without heat,” a local doctor told a UN team. “Without heating, our elderly patients decline within hours.”
Funds decrease
Humanitarian officials have warned that funding is falling short just as winter needs peak.
Only about two-thirds of the $279 million needed for Ukraine’s Winter Response Plan has been received, forcing cuts to essential services such as heating support, cash assistance, mental health care and protection for women and girls.
The broader response by 2026 calls for $2.3 billion to help 4.1 million people inside Ukraine.
The UN continues to comply
Despite insecurity and access limitations, aid operations continue. Some 44 inter-agency convoys have reached some 50,000 civilians in frontline areas this year with food, medical supplies and winter materials, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya told ambassadors.
Access remains volatile and risks to humanitarian workers are increasing. Ms. Msuya urged the Security Council to “use the tools available at its disposal” to protect civilians and ensure compliance with humanitarian principles.
“The people of Ukraine do not have the privilege of waiting for better conditions. They are enduring the fourth winter since the escalation of this war, under fire and in darkness,” he said.
“What they need from this Council is not just sympathy but concrete action to reduce the damage and safeguard humanitarian action that lies between survival and catastrophe.”