Historic Visit: UN Delegation Makes First Trip to Ukraine, Visits Russian Missile Strike Site in Zaporizhzhia

Zaporizhzhia became the first city in Ukraine to be visited by a UN delegation. The regional council called it a ‘historic visit’. Its purpose is to assess the humanitarian situation and find ways to increase assistance to people most affected by the war. The UN delegation, led by UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, visited an underground school that will open soon and visited the site of a December Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia, the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration reports.

‘We have to keep our focus on Ukraine. This trip helps us better understand the scale of the challenges and coordinate assistance to be ready for any scenario,’ Fletcher said.

On 10 December 2024, the Russian army launched a missile attack on the centre of Zaporizhzhia. An Iskander-M missile hit a private clinic, killing 11 people and injuring 22.

The third ‘underground’ school in Zaporizhzhia, which will start operating soon, has been created in compliance with all safety standards. The school has concrete walls up to 80 cm thick, ventilation, modern classrooms, a lounge area and rooms for children with special educational needs. In total, up to a thousand children will be able to study here in two shifts.