UNITED NATIONS

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine said Thursday that Russia has not granted access to areas it controls as winter approaches and millions of people need humanitarian assistance.

“The response from the Ukrainian side is almost always positive.” Denise Brown told reporters at the UN headquarters. “Unfortunately, on the Russian side, the request has always been turned down.”

As fighting continues in the east and south, Moscow launched a series of strikes on Ukrainian cities in the past two weeks that killed and injured dozens of people and damaged critical infrastructure.

Approximately 680 civilian casualties have been recorded in Ukraine from Oct. 1 to 16, according to the UN Human Rights Office.

Brown said recent attacks have reduced her agency's mobility and slowed the humanitarian response.

“There is extensive, extensive damage,” she said. “When I'm standing in buildings that have been completely destroyed, it's completely surreal. It's surreal.”

Asked how long it would take to rebuild the country, she said: “When you're standing in front of these buildings that are completely destroyed, blocks of buildings across many parts of the country -- this is not for next year. This is for a very long time. How long? I don't know but it's not for right now.”

Ukrainian forces have made advances in occupied regions since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24. Russia has called up more reservists and annexed four Ukrainian regions -- Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk -- following what the international community called "sham" referendums.