On July 9, 2024 an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council was held in New York, convened at Ukraine's request by Security Council members France and Ecuador in connection with the Russian missile attack on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, including the National Children's Specialized Hospital "Okhmatdyt".

While initiating the meeting and formally requesting permission to participate, Ukraine fundamentally refused to address the Russian Federation as the Security Council's presidency. Russia tried to prevent Ukraine's participation in the meeting. However, the efforts of Ukrainian diplomats and the willingness of the majority of UN Security Council members to support Ukraine's invitation forced Russia to abandon its attempt to pressure Ukraine into recognizing Russia's role as the Presidency.

An important element of the meeting was the participation of Volodymyr Zhovnir, Director of the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, as a briefer, initiated by Ukraine. He informed the participants about the unique role of the institution in the medical system of Ukraine and the damage caused by the destruction of its buildings as a result of Russian shelling, as well as the consequences of the Russian attack on the lives and health of sick children in the future.

The participants of the meeting demonstrated their consolidated support for Ukraine and condemned Russia's terrorist attacks against Ukraine. The partners sent clear signals of unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the need to provide additional capabilities to counter Russian aggression.

In her turn, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya condemned the July 8 missile attacks on Ukraine that caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure. She called on participants to speed up the process of providing financial support for Ukraine.

The attempts of the Russian Permanent Representative to once again justify his country's crimes by blaming the Ukrainian Defense Forces were not taken into account even by those countries that Russia considers its reliable partners. 

Instead, the Ukrainian delegation showed the participants of the meeting audiovisual evidence from the Security Service of Ukraine, which clearly proves that the attack on Okhmatdyt was carried out by a Russian X-101 missile.  

"The attack on a children's hospital is also an indication of Russia's current unwillingness to engage in a peace process," said Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN. 

He also added: " Russia is like cancer, only worse. It will stop killing and expanding violence only when it is incapable of doing so. The international community has all the necessary levers of influence for a decent response to the aggressor in a language he understands - with strong, joint and decisive actions aimed at bringing Russia to justice for all its crimes."

Photo: UN Photo