Ukraine war remains 'stain on our collective conscience': UN chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said the war in Ukraine continues to weigh heavily on the international community, calling it a moral failure four years after it began.

"Four years after the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war remains a stain on our collective conscience," Guterres said in remarks delivered on his behalf by UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo, at the UN Security Council's high-level session on Ukraine.

Saying that "the human toll is catastrophic," he noted that last year was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since 2022 despite diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.

He said more than 15,000 civilians have been killed and more than 41,000 injured since the start of the war, while millions have fled their homes and millions more require life-saving assistance.

Highlighting the impact on children, Guterres said: "The plight of Ukrainian children is particularly dire."

He said more than 3,200 children have been killed or injured, over one-third remain displaced, and an estimated 2.2 million require humanitarian assistance.

Condemning attacks on civilians and infrastructure, he stressed that "International humanitarian law is unequivocal: attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly prohibited."

"I condemn all such attacks, no matter where they occur," he added.

Warning of the dangers surrounding Ukraine's nuclear facilities, Guterres said: "This unconscionable game of nuclear roulette must cease immediately."

He also welcomed ongoing prisoner exchanges and urged that detainees be treated humanely and released in accordance with international law, while calling for the return of Ukrainian children transferred to Russia or occupied areas.

"It is time for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire-the first step toward a just peace that saves lives and ends the endless suffering," he said.