Vanessa Frazier (Special Representative) on threats…

"Mr. President, 

I have been following with concern reports from the Luhansk region of Ukraine under temporary occupation by the Russian Federation that an attack overnight on a vocational school and its dormitory in the town of Starobilsk has killed and injured several people, including children. Several individuals may still be trapped beneath the rubble. The United Nations does not have access to the area and is not in a position to confirm details of the reported attack.

As we have heard earlier this week in this same room, more than four years since the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, large-scale attacks continue daily in Ukraine, causing civilian and child casualties and damaging critical civilian infrastructure. Reported Ukrainian strikes inside the Russian Federation have also resulted in civilian casualties and damage to residential buildings and other civilian objects.

I strongly condemn all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. As the Secretary-General has repeatedly underscored, such attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law and must end immediately. Civilians, children, humanitarian personnel, and civilian objects — including schools and hospitals — must never be targeted. The protection of children must remain paramount. Their homes, their classrooms, and their futures cannot be treated as collateral damage. I also urge all concerned parties to refrain from any actions that put children in harm's way and would further escalate the already dangerous situation.

The reported incident in Starobilsk is a stark reminder of a broader and deeply troubling pattern: attacks on schools continue to disrupt the education of millions of boys and girls in conflict-affected regions worldwide. When schools are damaged or destroyed, the consequences extend far beyond the immediate loss of infrastructure, sometimes of life too. Children lose not only their classrooms but also their sense of safety, stability, their routine and their hope and dreams for their future. This has devastating and lifelong impacts. Schools must remain safe-havens — places where learning, growth, and dignity are protected. Education is not only a human right; it is a lifeline.

I recently travelled to Ukraine and to the Russian Federation and visited locations impacted by the conflict in both countries. In Ukraine I visited an underground metro school in the city of Kharkiv, where I spoke with schoolchildren who continue learning even under constant air alerts. I have also visited several sites impacted by the conflict. In Ukraine the impact of the war on education is tragic and children's access to education and other essential services has been disrupted on a massive scale. According to UN-verified information, over 440 attacks on schools were verified in Ukraine during 2025, making it one of the situations on the children and armed conflict agenda most affected by this grave violation. During my visit to the city of Belgorod, in the Russian Federation, I also visited schools and spoke to students and saw firsthand how children have been affected by conflict and visited sites also impacted by this war.

Across all conflict-affected regions, from the testimonies I have personally received in different situations I visited in the last months, children, their families and their communities all share the same message : stop harming children. Put their protection first. Protect their schools. Do not compromise their education, their development, and their future. We must act with urgency and determination. Prove that children affected by conflict matter. Protecting schools and educational facilities is not optional — it is a legal and moral imperative.

In conclusion, I reiterate the Secretary-General's call for a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire as a step towards a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and UN resolutions.

Thank you".