Intensifying Russian attacks across Ukraine, including Kyiv, have resulted in numerous civilian casualties and widespread power disruptions as United Nations agencies continue delivering aid.
Russian Attacks and UN Aid in Ukraine
Long-range strikes by Russia spanning overnight into Thursday led to a minimum of 14 civilian deaths and 78 injuries, which included seven wounded children. Ukrainian authorities and reports from Russian-occupied areas noted that energy and health facilities suffered further damage. Specifically, the Donetsk region reported two civilian deaths and nine injuries in Russian-occupied zones. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that overnight strikes harmed energy infrastructure in the Poltavska, Rivnenska, and Volynska oblasts, leading to disrupted power supplies. Hostilities additionally triggered power cuts across six frontline zones alongside emergency outages in Kyiv. In response, UN agencies maintained community support in dangerous and constrained frontline locations. On Wednesday, a UN Department of Safety and Security team brought relief supplies to a community near the contact line in the Zaporizhzhia region. Furthermore, UNICEF reported supporting nearly 70,000 frontline families with cash assistance alongside Ukrainian authorities to aid winterisation efforts.
West Bank Tour and Unlawful Elderly Deaths
Acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Ramiz Alakbarov, accompanied by 13 UN Member State representatives, visited Jenin in the West Bank. Stéphane Dujarric, the UN Spokesperson, stated on Thursday that the delegation toured the area to examine challenges involving displacement, recurrent Israeli settler attacks, and the Palestinian olive harvest. In Arraba, farmers shared accounts of facing settler attacks and Israeli access restrictions that threaten food security. Up to 100,000 households rely on olives for livelihoods. Dr. Alakbarov stressed that crimes against Palestinians must cease and perpetrators must face accountability from Israeli authorities. The diplomats additionally visited a UN clinic in Qabatiya to speak with Palestinians blocked from returning to the Jenin refugee camp since early 2025. Meanwhile, an independent human rights expert warned on Thursday that suspicious deaths of elderly people globally are under-reported, under-investigated, and under-researched. Morris Tidball-Binz, reporting to the UN Human Rights Council regarding extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, stated that ageism and discrimination frequently cause abuse, neglect, and unlawful deaths to be ignored. The Special Rapporteur outlined practical measures in his report to the Human Rights Council to protect older persons’ right to life, which include better data collection, stronger investigations, and enhanced prevention and institutional oversight.
Source: Cosmo News Desk
