UK Chargé d'Affaires, Deputy Ambassador James Ford, sets out the evidence of Russia's escalating assaults - rising civilian casualties, unprecedented mass drone and missile attacks, and systematic strikes on healthcare and energy. Yet there are zero credible signs that Russia is serious about peace negotiations. The UK will continue its steadfast support for Ukraine, and for a just and lasting peace.
Thank you, Mr Chair.
As we enter yet another year of Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine, it is important to cut through the disinformation and focus on the facts. And the facts tell a very clear story. Here are some of the numbers that give us essential context to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Russia claims to want peace. But in 2025 alone, Russia killed 2,514 Ukrainian civilians and injured 12,142 more, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission. The total of 14,656 civilian casualties is a 31% increase on 2024, and a 70% increase on 2023. Far from de-escalating, Russia has intensified its assault on the Ukrainian people every single year.
Russia has dramatically expanded its use of drones and missiles. From June to December 2025, Russia launched an average of over 5,300 drones every month, which is more than five times the 2024 monthly average. Across the whole of 2025, Russia fired over 1,900 missiles at Ukrainian cities, averaging more than 155 missiles per month. These numbers expose a campaign designed not only to kill, but to terrorise and exhaust the Ukrainian nation.
Last year Russia began to carry out mass combined attacks on a scale not previously seen in this war. Before the peace talks in Istanbul in May last year, no single day during the full‑scale invasion had seen more than 350 drones and missiles launched. Since its attendance at the peace talks, Russia has carried out 39 such large‑scale attacks, including 11 barrages exceeding 600 drones and missiles in a single day. These are not the actions of a state seeking compromise. They are the actions of a state intent on overwhelming Ukraine's defences and shutting down any path to peace.
Russia's assault on civilian infrastructure continues with devastating consequences. In 2025 alone, Russia attacked nearly 600 Ukrainian health facilities, accounting for 42% of all health-care attacks worldwide. This scale of strikes against hospitals, clinics, ambulances and medical workers is systematic and utterly indefensible.
Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, including a major drone strike in Kyiv this week, have triggered a severe crisis and a state of emergency. Millions of Ukrainians face prolonged blackouts, lack of water, and limited heating during freezing conditions. Over 63,000 energy facilities have been damaged and Ukraine has lost 70% of its pre-war generation capacity after four winters of such attacks.
Mr Chair, these numbers tell a clear story. They show a pattern of relentless escalation. They expose a strategy built on terror, destruction, and the deliberate targeting of civilians. And they underscore a simple truth: President Putin has no interest in ending this war, only in prolonging it. One final figure to emphasise is the number of credible signs that Russia is seeking to resolve this conflict through negotiation. This figure stands at zero.
Meanwhile, Ukraine and its partners continue to pursue a just and lasting peace, one that respects Ukraine's sovereignty, restores its security, and upholds the principles of the international rules-based order. That is why the UK's support for Ukraine will remain steadfast. We will continue to help Ukraine defend itself, protect its people, and strengthen its resilience in the face of Russia's aggression.
Thank you.
