Mr Chairperson,

First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Finnish Chairpersonship for the successful organisation of this year’s Ministerial Council. We are also grateful to Austria for hosting it.

The main annual event of our Organisation clearly demonstrated that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine remains at the top of the OSCE’s priorities, and we express our appreciation to all participating States that unequivocally condemned Russia’s aggressive actions and showed their firm solidarity with Ukraine.

Regrettably, while here in Vienna we were discussing the need to restore peace, in Ukraine Russia continued to intensify its brutal and genocidal war. It is hard to recall a single day in December without civilian casualties. Last week alone, Russia launched over 1,600 attack drones, around 1,200 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 70 missiles of various types against Ukraine.

These figures are not just military statistics. They are Russia’s real statements —more revealing than anything said by Russian representatives in the OSCE or any other international organisation. While Russian deputy minister once again repeated his usual lines about “peace”, dozens of missiles and drones were already on their way to new targets.

On 2 December, in Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, a drone strike killed at least two people and injured five.

On 3 December, attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk region killed two and wounded three; artillery strikes on Kherson killed a six-year-old girl and injured four others; and a strike on Sloviansk wounded eight civilians, including two children.

On the same day, Russian forces once again deliberately targeted the Kherson combined heat and power plant, forcing it to halt operations. Several plant employees were injured.

On 4 December, a drone attack on Odesa damaged energy infrastructure, residential buildings and dozens of vehicles.

On 6 December, eight civilians were injured in a combined missile and drone attack. In Fastiv, in the Kyiv region, the railway station building was destroyed.

On 7 December, Russian strikes in the Kharkiv region killed at least four people and injured ten.

 

Distinguished colleagues,

Of particular concern remains the situation around nuclear safety and security, as Russian forces continue their indiscriminate attacks. During the night of 5–6 December 2025, Russia carried out a massive combined drone and missile strike against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure.

This attack deliberately targeted, among other objects, high-voltage electrical substations essential for the safe and reliable operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. These facilities provide off-site power to reactors and other key safety systems.

As a result of this attack, several units at Ukrainian nuclear power plants were forced to reduce power output in order to preserve nuclear safety margins under conditions of increased stress on the grid. The illegally occupied by Russia Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant experienced a complete loss of off-site power for approximately one hour and had to rely on emergency diesel generators.

The situation at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant is no less alarming. On 5 December, the IAEA Director General announced the results of a comprehensive safety assessment of the New Safe Confinement, which had been severely damaged in a drone strike in February. The assessment confirmed that the structure has lost its primary safety functions, including its confinement capability.

Moscow does not conduct isolated acts of sabotage against infrastructure. It has turned such attacks into a large-scale strategy of energocide, which has already become a hallmark of Russia’s war.

This only underlines the need for the international community to closely monitor Russia’s actions and to take immediate practical measures to hold Russia accountable for its barbarism.

In this regard, allow me to express Ukraine`s gratitude to all participating States that supported the Joint Statement on Russia’s attacks against energy infrastructure, delivered on behalf of 43 participating States and OSCE Partners for Co-operation at the Ministerial Council. Regrettably, the situation on the ground clearly shows that the topic of this Joint Statement is more relevant than ever.

 

Mr Chairperson,

As we approach the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we all must adopt a pragmatic and principled approach toward Russia. And this would be impossible without recognising a basic reality: Moscow continues to challenge international security by waging its war against Ukraine. It kills and destroys openly and without shame. Moreover, it loudly threatens to continue hostilities. It declares that calls to act in line with international law are “unacceptable ultimatums”. It demands that all States ignore blatant violations of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, as if Russia stood above international law. It does so with cold-blooded self-confidence, turning genuine calls for peace into mockery.

Russia claims that its war is proceeding according to plan and that all its goals will be achieved. Yet the reality is grim. Every Russian advance comes at an enormous cost. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, since 24 February 2022 Russia has lost more than 1.2 million soldiers. It has lost approximately 11,500 tanks, 35,000 artillery systems, more than 770 aircraft and helicopters, 1,562 multiple launch rocket systems, 23,689 armoured personnel vehicles, 1,253 air defence systems, 28 warships and one submarine.

Russia seeks to present itself as a great power, yet its actions resemble those of a terrorist organisation driven by obsession and recognising no limits. Such actions are unacceptable. They must stop immediately. Russia must be left with no alternative but to end this war.

Last week, at the Ministerial Council, my Minister stated clearly that there is momentum to accelerate peace efforts. He underlined that Ukraine is ready to use every opportunity to end this war with a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, backed by real security guarantees.

We are grateful to the United States for advancing the peace process. We also thank all partners in Europe, America and Asia who support this path. Ukraine is engaged in intensive and active diplomacy to coordinate positions on current developments.

And we will continue to work as constructively as possible with all partners to achieve a just and dignified peace. Only such a peace can provide real security, and it requires sustained joint effort.

 

Thank you, Mr Chairperson.