UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu At the UN Security Council, at the initiative of Russia, the issues of arms supplies to Ukraine were discussed Peace and Security
UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu told the Security Council that in the context of the war in Ukraine, any transfer of arms and ammunition must take place within the international legal framework, including relevant Security Council resolutions.
The suffering of the people of Ukraine
Nakamitsu began her speech with the message that “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, launched in violation of the UN Charter and international rights,” brings terrible losses to the people of Ukraine. “The escalation of hostilities and the intensification of the Russian military offensive in Kharkiv and other parts of the country have resulted in large numbers of civilian casualties and widespread destruction of civilian facilities and infrastructure, severe power outages, disrupting the delivery of essential services and affecting access to health care and education,” – noted the High Representative.
The use of armed drones and missiles continues to cause deaths and injuries to civilians and damage to civilian infrastructure, she added.
Strikes on Russian territory
There are also reports, according to Nakamitsu, of an increase in the number of strikes using missiles and drones on Russian territory, which also leads to civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
“Like any other weapon or weapon system, armed drones and missiles must not be used in a manner that is contrary to international humanitarian law,” she noted. Nakamitsu.
All parties to any armed conflict have an obligation to protect civilians during armed conflict and to ensure respect for international law, in particular international humanitarian law, the High Representative recalled.
Military assistance to Ukraine
The provision of military assistance and the transfer of weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainians continues military forces, Nakamitsu said, citing open source information from governments.
These supplies reportedly included “heavy conventional weapons such as tanks, military armored vehicles, combat aircraft, helicopters, large-caliber artillery systems, missile systems and combat unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as remotely controlled ammunition, small and light weapons and ammunition.”
She said there were also reports that “states are transferring or planning to transfer weapons such as drones, ballistic missiles and ammunition to the Russian military, and that these weapons have been used in Ukraine.”
Nakamitsu stressed that any transfer of weapons and ammunition must take place within the international legal framework, including relevant Security Council resolutions.
Cluster munitions and mines
The UN representative expressed concern about reports of the use of cluster munitions, as well as the contamination of Ukrainian territory with mines and explosive remnants of war.
She recalled the need to comply with international agreements governing the transfer and use of weapons.
Civilian casualties
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has confirmed that since 24 February 2022, the war in Ukraine has killed 11,126 civilians and injured 21,863. The real numbers are most likely much higher, the UN notes. “It is deeply concerning that the number of civilian casualties in May, documented by the Ukraine Human Rights Monitoring Mission, was the highest since June 2023. Such human suffering must not continue,” the UN representative emphasized.