UN officials have warned that faces staggering recovery needs, with Ukraine reconstruction costs estimated at $588 billion over the next decade – roughly three times the country’s GDP in 2025.
Matthias Schmale, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, said the estimated costs of recovery are “a staggering $590 billion over a 10-year horizon, which amounts to three times Ukraine’s GDP (gross domestic product) in 2025.”
Schmale was referring to a “rapid damage and needs report” launched on Monday by the UN in conjunction with the Ukrainian Government, the World Bank and the European Union.
UN on Tuesday marked four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine with high-level debate and renewed calls to end the war.
The General Assembly also passed a resolution reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Schmale highlighted the long-term impact of the war, noting that up to one million veterans require reintegration support and that nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s territory may be contaminated by landmines.
“What this kind of report fails to fully capture is the destruction of the lives of human beings and their souls and mental well-being,” he said.
Reports on Tuesday indicated that Russian drone attacks injured at least five people in the frontline southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, with apartment blocks and public facilities hit.
“We are witnessing the devastating impact of systematic attacks on energy infrastructure that have disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies across the country, in some cases leaving entire towns without electricity and water supply for weeks,” Schmale, said, speaking from Kyiv.
According to Schmale, 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Data shows that at least 2,500 civilians were killed and more 12,000 injured last year, a more than 30 per cent increase compared with 2024.
Countries were expected to take action on a draft resolution including a ceasefire call and confidence-building measures such as the complete exchange of prisoners of war, the release of all unlawfully detained persons and the return of all internees and civilians forcibly transferred and deported, including children.
Addressing journalists in Geneva, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on February 22, 2022, shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent.
He stated that war must never be the new normal.
“Four years ago, people in Europe woke up in another world because generations like mine have always had the privilege to live a life in peace.
“But this changed four years ago with the full invasion [by] Russia, of the neighbouring country of Ukraine,” Baerbock said.
Echoing the UN Secretary-General’s assessment that the ongoing war “is a stain on our collective consciousness”, UN aid officials emphasised the immense human and economic toll of the conflict, while also appealing to the world to “never get used to war”.
“This war needs to finally end… Any peace agreement must be grounded in the UN Charter , international law and General Assembly resolutions,” Baerbock said, highlighting the ever-present threat of death for civilians.
“They told me count till 40 and if you’re still alive you obviously made it because with the rockets being shot over the border there is no time in many places to find a safer place,” Baerbock said.
He recounted the testimony of a teenage girl she met while visiting Kharkiv, 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Russian territory.
He called on the international community to “work every day for peace” and amid reports of further peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in the Swiss city on Thursday.
Baerbock reiterated the need for an “immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire” that respected the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.
Addressing the challenges which are part of the reconstruction and recovery process in Ukraine, Schmale said that there are up to one million veterans who need to be reintegrated into Ukrainian society, many of whom have suffered lifelong injuries, including amputations.
He also stressed that Ukraine is “among the most mined countries in the world”, with almost a quarter of its territory potentially contaminated by landmines.
