Follow Us on Google
…Asks African partners to strengthen solidarity, mutual cooperation
.…As UNHCR says Russia killed 1,420 civilians, injured 6,545 in six months
From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria, has expressed gratitude to the United Nations for its consistent monitoring of humanitarian law and human rights violation by the Russian Federation in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria, expressed its appreciation in a statement issued in Abuja.
It welcomed the publication of the 43rd periodic report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), covering the period from 1 June to 30 November 2025, and expressed its appreciation for the consistent, professional, and impartial monitoring of serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights committed in the context of the Russian Federation’s ongoing armed aggression against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Embassy said the report documented a significant escalation of Russia’s campaign of terror against the civilian population, including a sharp increase in civilian deaths and injuries resulting from the massive use of wide-area explosive weapons.
It also said that more than one third of all civilian casualties occurred in densely populated areas far from the frontline.
“One of the most egregious examples was the large-scale attack of 19 November, involving approximately 500 missiles and drones, which constituted the largest strike on western regions of Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
“According to OHCHR data, during the reporting period Russia killed 1,420 civilians and injured 6,545 others, including thousands of women and hundreds of children. Among the victims were medical personnel, journalists, emergency responders, and humanitarian workers. Of particular concern is the deliberate resumption of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of the winter season, causing widespread power outages, disruptions to heating and water supply, and posing a direct threat to the lives of millions of civilians. These actions clearly demonstrate Russia’s attempt to use cold and deprivation as tools of coercion,” the Ukraine Embassy in Nigeria said.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria added that the report further confirmed the systematic use of torture, cruel and inhuman treatment, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and other grave abuses against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.
“In the temporarily occupied territories, Russia continues forced “passportisation,” expropriation of private property, censorship, punishment for expressions of Ukrainian identity, and the militarisation and ideological indoctrination of children. Taken together, these facts demonstrate that the Russian Federation acts as an executioner — a state that deliberately employs fear, violence, and the destruction of civilian life as instruments of state policy.
“Ukraine is deeply concerned that this same pattern of conduct is being replicated far beyond Europe, regardless of Russia’s declared intentions or rhetoric. Events in Mali, documented by international investigations, including a recent report by the Associated Press, point to widespread rape, torture, looting, and extrajudicial killings of civilians linked to the activities of Russian military formations.
“Names may differ — whether “Wagner,” the “Africa Corps,” or other units formally integrated into the Russian Ministry of Defence — but the essence remains unchanged. Countries that enter into cooperation with Russian military forces eventually face the same consequences: the erosion of sovereign control over their security, growing dependency on an external actor, and de facto transformation into objects of neo-colonial domination. Russia does not bring stability; it establishes control.
“Ukraine understands the true cost of such “partnerships.” This is why Ukraine today is fighting not only for its own freedom, but also against modern neo-colonialism that disguises itself as “security assistance” or “strategic cooperation.” It is a struggle for the right of nations to determine their own future without coercion, violence, or external diktat.
“In this context, Ukraine calls on its African partners to strengthen solidarity and mutual cooperation. We firmly believe that Ukraine’s experience can serve as a warning and help prevent the repetition of tragedies caused by external military interference and institutionalised impunity. The protection of civilians, respect for international law, and accountability for crimes must remain a shared priority of the international community — in Africa as well as in Europe.
“Ukraine will continue working with its partners to restore justice, protect human dignity, and counter all forms of neo-colonial violence wherever they occur in the world,” the Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria further said.
