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Source: United Nations (video statements)

The New Year has brought “no peace or even respite to Ukraine,” with renewed fighting and large-scale aerial attacks hitting civilians and critical infrastructure, a top UN political affairs official said.

Briefing the Security Council, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said large-scale assaults by the Russian Federation have resulted in “horrific levels of destruction and suffering” across the country.

DiCarlo said that overnight between 8 and 9 January, Russia reportedly launched 242 drones and 36 missiles against Ukraine. In Kyiv, at least four people were reportedly killed and 25 others injured, including a paramedic responding to emergency calls who was killed in what was described as a “double-tap” strike.

She said energy facilities and residential buildings were damaged, leaving nearly half of the city and hundreds of thousands of residents without heating, while the Embassy of Qatar was also damaged.

She added that on the same day, areas of Ukraine’s western Lviv region near the Polish border were reportedly targeted by an intermediate-range ballistic missile known as “Oreshnik,” marking the second time the weapon has been fired at Ukraine since 2024.

DiCarlo said the system is believed to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, raising concerns over its deployment, and that Ukrainian authorities reported damage to gas distribution pipelines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHKgM7K_D1A

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The UN Secretary-General issued a statement on Sunday, saying he is shocked by reports of violence and the excessive use of force by Iranian authorities against protesters across the country, urging restraint and the immediate restoration of communications. The statement was read by the SG’s spokesperson during this Monday’s noon briefing.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qfmnDf3aeeo

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

Highlights:
– Security Council
– Security Council / Ukraine
– Ukraine
– Iran
– Sudan
– Sudan / humanitarian
– Peacekeeping / Middle East
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Venezuela
– Kenya / UN Refugee Agency
– Peacebuilding and Peace Support
– Resident Coordinator – Cambodia
– Honour Roll

SECURITY COUNCIL
I want to flag that our esteemed colleagues in the Security Council Branch released online the 2025 Highlights of Security Council Practice.
The Highlights Paper features insights into the work of the Security Council in 2025, particularly regarding meetings and other activities (including missions to the field) the agenda items and topics dealt with, decision-making and the work of its subsidiary bodies.
It’s a fantastic trove of date for all of you Security Council afficionados!

SECURITY COUNCIL/UKRAINE
This afternoon, at 3:00 p.m., the Security Council will hold a briefing on Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine, and our Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo will brief Council members. She is expected to underscore that the new year has brought no peace or even respite to Ukraine, but renewed fighting and devastation. Ms. DiCarlo is expected to note the recent use of the so-called Oreshnik missile, the second time the potentially devastating weapon has been fired at Ukraine since 2024.
Ramesh Rajasingham, OCHA’s Director of the Coordination Division, will also brief and is expected to warn Council members about the impacts of the attacks on civilians, especially as the strikes impact energy facilities, cutting off power and heating for people enduring freezing temperatures.

UKRAINE
From Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that over the weekend and the early hours of today, several civilians were killed and injured in the capital Kyiv and in the regions of Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia. This is according to authorities. Two health workers were reportedly injured in the Chernihiv region when their ambulance came under attack while on a call in a border community. As the weather conditions deteriorate, hundreds of thousands of households were left without electricity and heating across the country leaving entire communities without electricity and heating, with overnight temperatures down to nearly –20°C.
In Kyiv, repairs continue to restore critical electricity and heating services.
The water supply has been fully restored, while 1,000 multi-story apartment blocks have been without heating since January 9th, and parts of the city have electricity only for several hours per day, according to the city’s mayor.
Complementing the work of utility companies and national rescuers, aid workers provided hot meals, water and psychological aid and deployed mobile warming centres where impacted people can warm up, charge their devices and receive essential support.
Turning to front-line areas, on 9 January, an inter-agency convoy delivered medicine, hygiene, shelter materials and solar lamps to the Sviatohirsk community, one of the hardest hit areas in the Donetsk region, where humanitarian access remains limited due to security concerns.
Tomorrow, we, along with our humanitarian partners, will launch a prioritized Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2026, calling for continued solidarity with the most vulnerable war-affected people in Ukraine.

Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight

Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Website: https://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NebfC5bYaP0

Source: United Nations (video statements)

During a visit to Kakuma Refugee Settlement in northern Kenya, Barham Salih, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, highlighted Kenya’s role as a model for refugee protection and stressed the need for greater international solidarity to support durable solutions.

Speaking with refugees, students and entrepreneurs, Salih emphasized the importance of self-reliance, education and dignity for people living in protracted displacement.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gi4VrecKFho