Madam Chairperson,

Every week we are forced to begin our statements by condemning russia’s deadly attacks.

Yesterday’s missile strike on Kryvyi Rih claimed the lives of, at least, nine people. 32 others were injured.

At the same time, after a massive missile attack on Kyiv on the same day, a cluster munition was found in the vicinity, thus, posing a threat to local residents.

Every hour and each day, moscow proves that civilians and critical infrastructure are the main targets of russia’s war of attrition.

According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, at least 174 civilians were killed and 690 injured in Ukraine in May alone.

This is the highest monthly number of civilian casualties documented by the mission since June 2023.

The number of killed represents a 31 per cent increase compared to April 2024.

This was mainly due to attacks in Kharkiv region since 10 May.

The attacks caused 53 per cent of overall civilian casualties in May.

The same goes about civilian infrastructure. Sixty-five per cent of overall damage to educational and health facilities also took place in Kharkiv region.

The city of Vovchansk stands alone in this case. Having failed to capture it, russia has resorted to its traditional tactics – they are attempting to raze the city to the ground.

Neither is the better situation in other regions of Ukraine.

From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, as documented by Ukraine’s Prosecutor’s General Office in Odesa and the region, there were 299 cases of shelling of civilian and critical infrastructure facilities.

As a result, 115 civilians were killed, including 10 children.

Thousands of residential apartments, private houses, educational institutions, cultural sites, recreation centres etc were damaged or destroyed.

And this region is relatively far away from the frontline.

In addition, russia carried out 21 massive shelling of port and agricultural infrastructure. Each and every port was attacked.

This shows the systematic nature of russia's attacks against the global food security, freedom of navigation and connectivity in our region.

The situation is also tense in the Sumy region, which is adjacent to the border with russia and is constantly shelled from the russian territory.

The increase in the numbers of war crimes and civilian casualties is also registered there.

So far, in the Sumy region, 268 civilians, including 13 children were killed. More than seven thousand of civilian objects were damaged or destroyed, including 5,5 thousand of residential buildings and households, 149 education institutions, 29 medical facilities, seven cultural and 13 religious sites, as well as 440 objects of critical infrastructure.

As we remember, the UN Mission first reported the increase in the number of civilian casualties in March, when russia renewed its attacks against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure.

As confirmed by President Zelenskyy during the Recovery Conference in Berlin, russian missile and drone strikes have already destroyed 9 GW of our capacity.

The figure is stunning, given that the peak energy consumption in Ukraine was 18 GW during the last winter. This indicates what humanitarian challenges Ukraine is going to face in the new season.

Therefore, I would like once again to thank the German delegation for hosting the Recovery Conference I mentioned above, as well as all those delegations who participated in such an important event.

At the same time, the discussion that took place in Berlin is a stark reminder that the best recovery is the one that does not to be done.

To achieve that, Ukraine needs more defensive systems to protect its skies from missiles, drones and bombs.

To do that, Ukraine needs more artillery shells and long-range weapons not to allow russian to open new frontlines and to move deeper into Ukraine’s territory.

And to get there, Ukraine needs more modern military equipment to drive the russian troops back to internationally recognized borders, so the recovery could be launched in liberated communities.

Esteemed colleagues,

Last time, the russian representative proudly declared that russia is a successor of the Soviet Union in countless attempts to justify the aggression against my country.

To say it diplomatically, the legacy of the Soviet Union is very questionable and controversial. Different countries have different memories about those dark times.

However, today’s russia, for sure, will be remembered for launching illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression at the heart of Europe.

For thousands of killed. For millions of displaced. And for bringing the Nazi playbook to modern Europe.

As well as, the kremlin’s current leadership will be remembered for inflicting the biggest damage to russia’s state in its history.

Furthermore, last time the russian representative, in line with his masters in the kremlin, painfully reacted on a statement about Ukraine’s rich culture, language and history.

The russian delegation even referred to the XIX century. However, the XIX century is known for at least two decrees issued by moscow banning the use of the Ukrainian language, which was considered as a threat to the empire.

So, why moscow was so afraid of the Ukrainian language, which according to russian politicians and diplomats, never existed?

That said, it is clear that disinformation, history distortion and denial of reality are among the russian toolbox, as it helps them sustain a myth about an invincible russia.

But the facts on the ground speak for themselves. Let me name a few.

841 days of Ukraine’s resistance to the russian army. The liberation of the Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions.

The restoration of Ukraine’s control over the Kharkiv region and the city of Kherson.

The expulsion of russia’s army from the Zmiinyi Island and the victory in the battle for the Black Sea.

And for the first time in history – the loss of a submarine from a cruise missile strike, the loss in action of an airborne early warning and control aircraft, and the loss of a strategic bomber and the fifth-generation fighter jet due to a drone strike.

These very facts speak volumes that together we, the Free World, can effectively protect the rule of law, democracy and rules-based order.

Furthermore, these facts prove that together we can give a real chance to diplomacy to stop the aggressor and to restore peace not on the terms of the aggressor-state but on the terms of the UN Charter.

And russia understands what is at stake. The myth about its invincibility.

We can see this by their actions and attempts to disrupt the upcoming Peace Summit in Switzerland.

Because russia understands that no one wants to live in a world in which aggressors are allowed to attack their neighbors, commit atrocities and seize pieces of sovereign territory.

And only our unity and resolve could force moscow to end this war with restoring a just and lasting peace in Europe.

Because we all know what is on stake for us. It is a human life.

As President Zelenskyy recently said, “putin seeks to conquer – not just russia's neighbors. Russian killers were in Aleppo and are in Africa. They learned war by destroying Grozny and breaking Georgia. They left Moldova divided. They brought Belarus to its knees”.

This is why, we must all counter Russia's attempts to divide and weaken the democratic world.

In order not to allow russia to continue its march of disregard for life and nations through Europe.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.