There is “no safe space left” in Ukraine as every part of the country “has been a target”, the General Assembly heard today, as Member States expressed alarm over reports that Kyiv had come under attack for the sixth consecutive day.
Since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Assembly has repeatedly convened emergency special sessions as Security Council action has been blocked by Moscow’s veto. The 193-member Assembly has adopted multiple resolutions reaffirming Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, calling for the full, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces, and addressing the staggering humanitarian impact of the conflict.
“We have seen the human cost of these continuing violations of the UN Charter, even though it hardly makes headlines anymore,” General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock (Germany) said.
Civilian casualties in the first half of 2026 were a whopping 114 per cent higher than the same period in 2024, she said. “All over the country, attacks have damaged civilian infrastructure, such as a shopping center, residential buildings, schools and hospitals,” she recalled, while also citing reports of civilians being killed in the Russian Federation.
Regional Fallout from War in Ukraine
In Ukraine, she said, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has documented repeated strikes affecting ambulances, rescue teams and aid workers, including incidents in which responders were hit while returning to help.
“Geographically, the war has seeped beyond Ukraine”, she said, with airspace incursions growing more frequent in Latvia, Republic of Moldova and Romania, and threats to safe navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov carrying consequences far beyond the region.
While these disruptions “hardly make headlines anymore”, they do, however, impact food prices and access to fertilizers. She called for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire, and urged the Russian Federation to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine”. Previous Assembly resolutions on the matter call for adherence to the Charter, she insisted.
‘We Will Defend Our Land,’ Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Says
Mariana Betsa, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said that just today, a massive Russian ballistic-missile and drone attack killed eight people in Kyiv and four in the surrounding region, including an Indian citizen.
“Ukraine does not plan to surrender”, she stressed, underscoring that the Russian Federation’s aggression is intended not merely to seize territory but also “to erase Ukrainian identity”. She called on all States, international organizations and parliamentary institutions not to recognize the “illegal and sham” polls planned by Moscow in Ukraine’s occupied territories, including the autonomous republic of Crimea and city of Sevastopol, or to participate in any activities that could be interpreted as legitimizing them.
She said that 1.6 million Ukrainian children live in the occupied territories and more than 20,000 have allegedly been deported or abducted by the Russian Federation. Only 2,495 have been returned. In occupied areas, children face “indoctrination” as part of “a deliberate policy” aimed at destroying Ukrainian families and identity.
Ms. Betsa also accused Moscow of attacking agricultural infrastructure, ports and commercial shipping, warned that conditions at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain “extremely dangerous” and called for unrestricted International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access.
She urged the international community to impose stronger sanctions on the Russian Federation, hold criminal perpetrators accountable and provide additional military support to Kyiv. “Russia is much weaker than it seems,” she concluded.
Status of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson: ‘A Closed Issue’, Moscow Argues; People ‘Belong to Russian World’
The representative of the Russian Federation said that Assembly discussions on the “so-called temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine” have not brought a settlement of the crisis any closer — “not one bit”.
Rather, he described the topic as “an instrument of an anti-Russia campaign” through which Kyiv and its Western sponsors are using the Assembly to “legitimize a one-sided version of events in Ukraine”. Authorities in Kyiv — “when talking about Russian regions which supposedly belong to them” — are steering discussion away from the “main issue”, he said: The reasons why people in those regions “no longer link their fates to Ukraine”.
Turning to the status of Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, he declared: “For us, it’s a closed issue, it’s not up for discussion, the people living there have made their informed choice — they’ve tied their future to Russia.” They did so because nationalist forces in Kyiv “persecuted the Russian-speaking population”, which, he said, “predetermined their desire to return to Russia”.
Those present can deny what is happening or engage in “political demagoguery” all they like, he said. “But it’s impossible to force millions of people to deny their identities: The fact that they belong to the Russian world.”
Speakers Denounce Home Searches, Denial of Medical Care in Ukraine’s Occupied Regions
In the ensuing discussion, more than 30 speakers took the floor, many of them keeping the spotlight on civilian suffering and the urgent need for accountability.
“Human rights organizations have documented the large-scale forced transfer and unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children,” said Finland’s delegate, speaking for the Nordic and Baltic countries. “Ukrainian authorities have reported methodical efforts to eradicate Ukrainian national identity.” There must be accountability for violations of international law and she voiced support for the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
“Residents face intimidation, house searches, denial of medical care and social benefits, or detention for perceived pro-Ukrainian views — for as little as a song or flag on their phone,” added the representative of the Netherlands, speaking also for Belgium and Luxembourg. Switzerland’s delegate recalled the need to protect civilians and respect, under all circumstances, and the principles of distinction and proportionality.
European Union Rejects ‘Forced Russification’, as United States Pledges to Facilitate Talks
“The Ukrainian people — like all people — deserve a secure, independent future free from war and free from coercion,” the representative of the European Union insisted, speaking in its capacity as observer. The bloc will “never” recognize as lawful any purported annexation of Ukrainian territories, the “forced Russification” of their people or the results of any “illegal so-called elections” organized by the Russian Federation occupation administration.
“Every temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine by the Russian Federation is Ukraine,” Canada’s representative clarified, speaking also for Australia and New Zealand. “We therefore firmly reject and will never recognize the illegal so-called elections organized by Russia.” Canada, along with Ukraine and Norway, will convene a ministerial conference in Toronto from 28-29 September on returning Ukrainian children, detained civilians and prisoners of war.
“Only diplomacy can stem the death and destruction,” stressed the representative of the United States, urging the Russian Federation and Ukraine to return “to the negotiating table, as it is clear that no military solution exists for this war”. He expressed support for the ongoing dialogue to end strikes against civilian vessels and infrastructure in the Black Sea and pledged to “play whatever constructive part” needed to facilitate talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
Dialogue ‘Only Way Out’, China insists. Romania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Meanwhile, Denounce Moscow’s Interference
“Dialogue and negotiation are the only way out,” stressed China’s delegate, urging the concerned parties not to “abandon their efforts simply because negotiations are difficult, nor refuse to engage with each other simply because differences exist”. The hostilities have “seriously impacted third-party countries”, which he called “a source of deep concern and pain”.
“Be it in Europe or elsewhere, by now we all have felt the impact of this war”, said Romania’s delegate. Echoing the concerns of other regional countries, she said Moscow’s intensified strikes on Ukrainian ports and commercial shipping along the Danube and in the Black Sea have disrupted global food supply chains. Several regional countries — “including my country”, she said — face “unacceptable” drone incursions “for which the aggressor bears full responsibility”. She described Romania’s support for Ukraine as “unwavering”, stressing that it will continue to stand with Ukraine and its people “in their legitimate self-defence and in exercise of their sovereign right to freely choose their future”.
Poland’s representative said Moscow’s policy in Ukraine is “aimed at shattering lives, rights and identity of those living under occupation”, noting that displacement and property confiscation are mutually reinforcing. Moscow’s “provocative posture” does not help end the conflict. “Perhaps a novelty for Russia — a country with actual neocolonial ambitions — but undermining security architecture does not help restore peace”, he stressed.
“Our country has also confronted disinformation, cyberattacks, electoral interference and energy blackmail, aimed at destabilizing our society,” said the Republic of Moldova’s representative. “These threats show that Moldova's security and Ukrainian security are inseparable,” he said, adding: “Stronger Ukrainian defence also means safer skies for Moldova and greater regional security.”
Georgia Evokes Illegal Occupation of Abkhazia, Tskhinvali. Türkiye Calls for Safeguarding Tatars
Georgia’s representative said Tbilisi knows firsthand the long-term cost of illegal occupation. “For more than three decades, Russia's illegal occupation of Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions has continued to affect the security, human rights and humanitarian situation on the ground,” he said.
Given its “shared history”, Türkiye’s representative said it is critical to safeguard the Crimean Tatars’ identity and heritage. Türkiye brought Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table in 2022, and last year, three rounds of talks aimed to address humanitarian concerns between the parties. “We are alarmed by the escalation in war”, he said, adding that it is essential to revitalize the negotiation process.
In the afternoon, the Assembly concluded its high-level meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day against Nuclear Tests.