Mr Chair,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the following participating States
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and my own State, the United Kingdom.
OSCE Partners for Co-Operation Australia and Japan also join this statement.
Russia’s deliberate missile and drone strikes against Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure constitute a clear pattern in its full-scale invasion that began in 2022 and has intensified in the fourth year of the war. Russia has carried out deliberate strikes across the country, leading to significant civilian casualties, massive damage to residential and energy infrastructure and causing emergency power outages across most regions of the country. Tens of thousands of civilians in major cities and population centres are left without proper access to essential services. The arrival of winter makes these strikes even more egregious.
It is of particular concern that electrical infrastructure, identified by the International Atomic Energy Agency as essential for the off-site power supply of nuclear facilities, continues to be the target of Russian strikes. Such attacks represent a direct threat to nuclear safety and security and increase the risk of a nuclear accident with potentially severe consequences for Ukraine and beyond.
We condemn Russia’s systematic strikes against civilian infrastructure in the strongest possible terms. The unlawful targeting of civilians and civilian objects is a breach of international humanitarian law, in particular principle of distinction, enshrined in the Geneva Conventions, and may therefore constitute war crimes.
Russia must be held accountable for its actions. There must be no impunity for crimes, including war crimes and the crime of aggression. And victims must receive justice.
Russia’s actions further highlight the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire. We urge Russia to cease its attacks on Ukraine and engage seriously in genuine negotiations.
We support efforts towards ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and achieving a just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine based on international law, including the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act.
Ukraine and its people have demonstrated outstanding resilience during Russia’s war of aggression. We remain committed to supporting Ukraine in its efforts to protect, repair and restore civilian infrastructure affected by the war, with the aim of safeguarding the population’s access to essential services, including electricity, heating and water. Building upon broad Ukrainian experience in bolstering the resilience of critical infrastructure we remain open to exchanging Ukraine’s lessons learned.
We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
Thank you, Mr Chair.