The Secretary-General is saddened and disturbed to learn of the death of an international humanitarian aid worker as a result of a shell landing near the International Committee of the Red Cross Headquarters in eastern Ukraine today. This follows the appalling shelling of a school in eastern Ukraine yesterday which resulted in the death of a number of civilians.

The Secretary-General is seriously concerned over the dangerous surge in fighting in recent days and mounting civilian casualties. These recent, tragic incidents underscore the fragility of the current cease-fire and the importance of ensuring a secure environment in south-eastern Ukraine that will allow humanitarian actors to carry out their work and deliver critical assistance to those most in need.

The Secretary-General expects all concerned to strictly adhere to their commitments under the Minsk Memorandum agreed on 19 September in order to ensure a sustainable cease-fire. He reiterates that political and diplomatic efforts must be urgently redoubled toward this end. A return to full-scale fighting could be catastrophic for Ukraine, the region and beyond.