A senior UN official has called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, warning of the mounting human cost of the war and urging both sides to respect international humanitarian law.

Speaking to the UN Security Council on Friday, Miroslav Jenca, the UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas, said more than 13,500 people have been killed and over 34,000 injured since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Jenca condemned continued Russian attacks across Ukraine, calling them “brutal” and noting that Ukrainian civilians have endured nearly three and a half years of destruction. He also expressed concern about reports of Ukrainian strikes affecting civilians in Russia.

“Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law and must stop immediately, wherever they occur,” he said.

Jenca urged both sides to honour their legal obligations in the treatment of prisoners of war and to continue efforts to exchange detainees.

Reiterating the UN’s long-standing position, he said peace must be grounded in the principles of the UN Charter, including full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

“The United Nations remains ready to support all meaningful efforts to this end,” he said.

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