UN warns of continued prohibited weapons transfers to Ukraine, Russia

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Amid continuing prohibited weapons transfers to Ukraine and Russia during the ongoing war, top disarmament and legal officials issued calls on Friday for parties to the conflict to abide by international law and protect civilians.

Warning the Security Council, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said that since the last briefing on weapons transfers only two weeks ago, the provision of military assistance and transfer of arms and ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces have continued in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in violation of the UN Charter and of international law.

“Any transfer of weapons and ammunition must be compliant with the applicable international legal framework, including of course, relevant Security Council resolutions, which in certain instances impose sanctions and restrictive measures on such transfers,” she said.

Shipments reportedly included such heavy conventional weapons as tanks, armoured combat vehicles and aircraft, helicopters, large-calibre artillery and missile systems and uncrewed combat aerial vehicles alongside remotely operated munitions, small arms and light weapons and their ammunition.

She also pointed to reports of States transferring, or planning to transfer, weapons such as uncrewed aerial vehicles, ballistic missiles and ammunition to the Russian armed forces and that these weapons have been used and are likely to be used in Ukraine.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, briefs the Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security.

States must abide by global arms treaties

The High Representative raised deep concerns about reports related to the use and transfer of cluster munitions since the beginning of the conflict and the widespread contamination with mines and explosive remnants of war in Ukraine.

Reminding the 15-member Council of the importance and value of international law in today’s challenging security context, she called on Member States to comply with obligations to various disarmament treaties, particularly conventions on cluster munitions, anti-personnel mines and what is referred to as “certain conventional weapons” deemed to be indiscriminate or excessively injurious, such as booby traps, weaponised lasers designed to cause permanent blindness and incendiary weapons.

The universal participation in and the full implementation of these treaties must remain a priority, she said, calling on all States to abide by their international humanitarian law obligations and to become parties as a matter of priority to disarmament treaties and comply with the obligations therein.

“Compliance with these obligations is crucial in preventing the causing of unnecessary suffering or superfluous injury to persons and in protecting civilians,” she said, underscoring that importing, transit, producing and exporting States must act responsibly at every step along the arms and ammunition transfer chain to prevent and detect diversion, illicit trafficking and misuse.

Civilian deaths keep rising

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded over 11,700 civilians killed and more than 24,600 civilians injured in Ukraine.

According to the OHCHR, August was the month with the second highest number of civilian casualties in 2024, after July, with at least 184 civilians killed and 856 injured in Ukraine.

The use of armed uncrewed aerial vehicles and missiles by Russia continues to cause civilian deaths and injuries as well as damage to civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, Ms. Nakamitsu said.

In addition, there have also been reports of a number of cross-border strikes using missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles by Ukraine inside Russia, with some resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian objects.

“Armed uncrewed aerial vehicles and missiles must not be used in a manner inconsistent with international humanitarian law,” she said.

“All parties to any armed conflict have an obligation under international humanitarian law to protect civilians,” she said.

Russia: Ukraine uses chemical weapons

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Ukraine and its Western backers are looking for ways to break the situation on the battleground, but heavy losses have been reported of weapons already sent to Kyiv. Moreover, multiple reports indicate that Ukrainian forces are using chemical weapons, he said, adding that Moscow will continue to inform the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Turning to the possibility of easing the entry of weapons into Ukraine, he said “if the decision to lift restrictions is really taken, that will mean that from that moment NATO countries will be conducting direct war with Russia.”

“In this case, we will have to take the relevant decisions with all the consequences that the Western aggressors would incur,” he said. “We’re not talking about a game here. The facts are that NATO will be a direct party to hostilities against a nuclear power.”

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

US reports new Iranian missile shipments

US Ambassador Robert Wood highlighted new developments, saying Iranian personnel trained Russian military personnel this past summer on the use of Iran’s Project 360 close-range ballistic missiles, and Russia received the first shipment of hundreds of these missiles from Iran in early September.

With a maximum range of 75 miles, the missiles are enabling Russia to preserve its longer-range capabilities for use throughout Ukraine, deepening Russian arsenals and giving it the ability to destroy more Ukrainian infrastructure ahead of winter while destabilising European security.

“There is no legitimate excuse for what Russia is doing in Ukraine,” he said, adding that the US will continue to support Kyiv’s ability to defend itself and that “we will not back down.”

UK voices unwavering support for Kyiv

UK Deputy Permanent Representative James Kariuki said that “by calling this meeting today on Western weapons transfers to Ukraine, Russia has, yet again, succeeded only in drawing our attention to its continued hypocrisy.”

He said Iranian close-range ballistic missiles will “soon reach European soil”, and Russia continues to purchase significant quantities of weapons from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in violation of Council resolutions “Russia itself voted for”.

Moscow’s war in Ukraine is a “flagrant violation” of international law and the UN Charter, he said, adding that “we will not be deterred from our unwavering support for Ukraine.”

Watch the full Security Council meeting below:

Ukraine requests long-range missiles

Meanwhile in Washington, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden are due to meet on Friday to discuss the ongoing situation. Earlier in the day, Moscow expelled six British diplomats, accusing them of spying, which the UK Foreign Office said was a “completely baseless” charge.

The White House meeting follows on from Kyiv’s renewed requests for long-range missiles to strike, according to media reports.

The two leaders are expected to address Ukraine’s request to ease restrictions on using weapons supplied by Washington and London.

ICC: ‘Justice must play central role’

At the same time, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan said justice must play a central role in confronting aggression and combatting attempts to wield unbridled power in a statement issued upon the conclusion of his sixth visit to Ukraine since the war began.

Pointing to Kyiv’s recent decision to sign the Rome Statute that recognises the ICC, he said “it is remarkable that amidst bombs and abductions, as children are targeted and intentional suffering is inflicted against civilians, the people and authorities of Ukraine have set an example by turning to the law as their ally.”

“That a State, amidst the most intense heat of conflict turns ever more firmly towards the law, is something to recognise and applaud, he said.

“We should not underestimate the significance of this moment. This decision by Ukraine, especially at this moment, strengthens not only the protection that international law can provide to the people of Ukraine, but to all people subjected to aggression, tyranny and atrocities globally.”

Hope and ‘a clear warning’

Mr. Khan called it a powerful act of unity and solidarity at a time “when many seek to drive a wedge between those that believe in the rule of law”.

Sending a message of “hope and a clear warning”, he said those who trespass in Ukraine “should know that we are united in holding them to account”.

“If you are a foot soldier, if you are guiding a drone to its target, if you are behind a desk planning illegal abductions of individuals, please know that the collective efforts that have been demonstrated in the last days will, eventually, remove any sense of impunity that you presently have,” he said.

“We will not let up our focus, we will increase the intensity of our work, we will deepen our partnerships with all our Ukrainian counterparts until we have truly demonstrated the potential of the law in this moment.”