Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Briefing by Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, on the Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.

Khiari, said, “on the night of 23 to 24 May, the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike across Ukraine, reportedly deploying as many as 90 long-range missiles and 600 drones. Among the weapons used was the so-called “Oreshnik” intermediate-range ballistic missile, which targeted the city of Bila Tserkva in central Ukraine.”

Khiari said, “at least five people were reported killed and at least 112 others injured across Ukraine, with the heaviest toll in Kyiv,” adding that “the city’s more than two million residents endured over seven hours of explosions, impacting dozens of residential buildings.”

He pointed out that Russian Federation authorities “have also reported rising civilian casualties from alleged Ukrainian strikes,” and on 25 May, “two civilians were reportedly killed in the Belgorod and Bryansk regions.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WKvd0foDLM

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.

Mr. President,
With your permission, I will make some brief remarks and Assistant Secretary-General Khiari will provide a detailed briefing.
Mr. President, Excellencies,
Allow me to make a direct appeal.
The large-scale strikes launched by the Russian Federation across Ukraine on 23-24 May – and the prospect of further such attacks – underscore the gravity of this moment.
Since February 2022, more than 15,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine – nearly 800 children among them, as verified by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Reports from the Russian Federation indicate a growing number of civilian casualties – including children.
Humanitarian personnel have come under attack.
Serious violations of international humanitarian law continue.
The human toll is increasing.
In the first four months of this year, more civilians have been killed in Ukraine than in the same period in 2025.
Or 2024.
Or 2023.
The front line is virtually frozen with swarms of drones inflicting heavy casualties.
Civilian infrastructure is being destroyed on a vast scale – especially energy infrastructure.
This could go on and on and on.
But the direction of the war – the escalation and the intensification that we are witnessing – risks to get out of control.
The risk of miscalculation.
The risk of escalation with unknown and unintended consequences.
And so, let’s speak plainly.
The current course is not sustainable.
This trajectory must change.
The death spiral must stop.
What is needed now is de-escalation – immediate and sustained.
What is needed now is a full and unconditional ceasefire.
What is needed now is more diplomacy.
What is needed is to create the conditions for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace — in line with the Charter of the United Nations, international law, and UN resolutions.
Mr. President, Excellencies,
The choice is clear.
The responsibility is clear.
The time for peace is now.
Thank you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkA8ecvU7ew

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN agencies and humanitarian groups are mobilizing rapidly as the WHO Director-General lands in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to spearhead Ebola containment efforts.
Since 15 May, UN agencies have been supporting the DRC and neighbouring Uganda to contain the outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no treatment.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0K20Gep9wxk

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
– UN Peacekeepers Day
– UN80
– Ukraine
– Lebanon
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Uganda
– Haiti
– World Meterological Organization
– Senior Personnel Appointment/UNOCA
—————————————————————–
UN PEACEKEEPERS DAY

Tomorrow is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. This year’s theme for the Day is “Invest in Peace.” In his message to mark the day, the Secretary-General said that we honour peacekeepers past and present and reaffirm our shared responsibility to respect and strengthen their work.

As usual, there will be ceremonies to mark the day here, but they are scheduled to take place next week, on 5 June. In the meantime, we can already tell you about the recipients of prizes awarded each year on Peacekeepers Day.

The Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage will be awarded to the late Sergii Prykhodko of Ukraine as well as to Corporal Matias Reyes of Uruguay.

Major Abhilasha Barak of India will receive the Military Gender Advocate Award and Inspector Stephanie Königs of Germany will receive the Woman Police Officer of the Year Award. These awards will be officially presented to them next Friday. You can find more details about those receiving awards and about the ceremonies in press releases that we are sharing with you as I speak.

UN80

The Secretary-General briefed the General Assembly this morning on his UN80 initiative and said that the UN Secretariat has realized a 21 percent reduction in posts for 2026 – while also minimizing impact on staff, facilitated by actions we began taking in early 2024.

Among other steps, he said the Secretariat launched a Digital Hub in Valencia to support Secretariat-wide digital service delivery; consolidated 10 payroll centres into a single global team; and relocated 220 Secretariat posts from high-cost locations, plus approximately 1,900 more across the UN system.

Mr. Guterres added that the UN has begun piloting the New Humanitarian Compact – a push for innovation, impact, and integration as we grapple with soaring needs and plummeting resources. This includes simplifying humanitarian planning and unifying humanitarian supply chains, which account for 70 percent of overall humanitarian spending.

The Secretary-General reminded the Member States that decisions about structural reforms rest in their hands. He reminded them that change is a given, but the question is whether it will be reform that is planned and strategic, or change that is haphazard, costly, and driven by events beyond anyone’s control.

UKRAINE

The Secretary-General will make some introductory remarks on Ukraine to Security Council members at their formal meeting at 3:00 pm today. He will discuss the recent escalation of the conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and will call for de-escalation and for a full and unconditional ceasefire. Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari will also brief the Council this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the UN and our humanitarian partners continue to provide life-saving assistance across Ukraine, while increasingly coming under attack, with several incidents of violence against aid workers and their assets reported over the past few days.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-05-28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n–GDwjDNvo