Mr. Chairperson,

On behalf of the Delegation of Ukraine let me deliver a statement on the subject of “Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and illegal occupation of Crimea”.

As demonstrated during the last FSC meeting, the Russian delegation keeps exercising in the dissemination of dubious information from propaganda media resources of its own making in the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas.

Instead of wasting efforts on this futile undertaking, we encourage the Russian side to engage in a constructive dialogue aimed at finding the most expedient ways to end the conflict, which it has started and continues to sustain. Full adherence to the ceasefire regime would make a good beginning in this regard.

Meanwhile, the trend of increasing armed violence fuelled by Russia in Donbas remains dominant taking toll of Ukrainian servicemen and bringing suffering to the civilian population.

Last week, Ukrainian positions were shelled on 55 occasions, including 8 times with the use of Minsk-proscribed 82mm and 120mm mortars (near Katerynivka, Kamianka, Prychepylivka, Novoluhansk, Verhniotoretske, Lebedynske) and 122mm artillery systems (near Verhniotoretske). The Russian occupation forces extensively used other means of warfare to uphold armed provocations and keep tensions high on the line of contact, notably, heavy machine guns, diverse grenade launchers and small arms.

Near Pavlopil, Vodiane and Shyrokyne settlements, on 5 occasions, the Russian armed formations dropped VOG-17 grenade shells on the Ukrainian positions. Distant mining with landmines POM-2 was employed against Ukrainian defenders near the residential area of Niu-York, Donetsk region.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine maintained defence, suppressing provocative fire and holding their positions, with the use of weapons that are not prohibited by the Minsk agreements.

In the result of reckless acts of armed aggression of the Russian Federation during the last week, one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and 5 servicemen were wounded. These sad numbers include those Ukrainian warriors who perished from the enemy’s detonative devices widely scattered on Ukraine’s soil by Russia.

The Ukrainian side regards such actions of the Russian Federation as a blatant violation of the Minsk agreements and a disregard of the TCG agreement on additional measures to strengthen ceasefire of 22 July 2020. Such deliberate steps to destabilize the situation in the temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and adjacent territories can only further escalate the conflict.

The Russian Federation continues extensively supplying its forces in the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas with weaponry, ammunition, fuel, and lubricants, as well as transferring manpower through the section of the Russian-Ukrainian state border uncontrolled by the Government of Ukraine.

In this connection, I would like to remind of and draw your attention to the fact that tomorrow is the last day of operational activities of the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian state border checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk. The Russian Federation made a decision not to support the existing broad consensus within the OSCE on extending the Mission’s mandate.  We consider this decision to be yet another evidence of its plans to continue and increase such illicit supplies to the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which may lead to further escalation in the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict.

Only for the period from 23 August through 16 September this year, for the mentioned period, 29 tank wagons with total loading capacity of approximately 1700 tons of fuel and lubricants as well as 12 trucks with provision were observed entering Ukraine from Russia heading towards the Ilovaisk, Krasnodon, Rovenky, Chervona Mohyla railway stations and the city of Luhansk. Through Diakove checkpoint, Russia transferred 4 trucks with spare parts to cars and armoured vehicles, 3 Kamaz trucks with trailers loaded with anti-tank missiles 9K111-1 “Konkurs” (heading to the Miusynsk and Luhansk).

On 23 August, a group of 47 artillery servicemen of Russia’s army entered Ukraine from Russia through Dovzhanskyi checkpoint on a civilian bus with Russian license plates from the temporarily occupied Crimea. On 28 August, a group of 37 servicemen of Russia’s army, namely intelligence officers and gunners, entered Ukraine from Russia through the same checkpoint on a civilian bus with Russian license plates from the occupied territories of Georgia.

Currently, military logistics and combat support units, military advisors, instructors, specialists and servicemen of the armed forces of the Russian Federation amounting to 3000 people are deployed in the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

These facts speak for themselves and undoubtedly testify to the ongoing violation by Russia of international law, OSCE fundamental principles and commitments, enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act, as to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders, as well as its commitments under OSCE politico-military instruments.

Mr. Chairperson,

Esteemed colleagues,

OSCE participating States carefully crafted the CSBMs instruments with a view to strengthen transparency and trust in our region. However, they were yet again misused and undermined by one participating State in a blatant attempt to legitimize its illegal acts of occupation of part of sovereign territory of another participating State. The information distributed by the Russian Federation within the information exchange on participating States’ policy on the export control of conventional arms (FSC.EMI/409/21) referred to the temporarily occupied Crimea as allegedly part of Russia, which is not in accordance with international law.

Let me remind the Russian delegation that since 20 February 2014, the Russian Federation, in violation of fundamental OSCE norms and principles and imperative norms of international law, as well as its obligations under multilateral and bilateral treaties, has been committing an act of armed aggression against Ukraine, which has resulted in the temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine – the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as well as certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Violations committed by the Russian Federation struck at the core of the OSCE – the founding principles of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975.

The United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 68/262 of 27 March 2014 “Territorial integrity of Ukraine” affirmed the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. It acknowledged that the sham “referendum” held in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on 16 March 2014, having no validity, cannot form the basis for any alteration of the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea or of the city of Sevastopol. The UN General Assembly also called upon all States, international organizations and specialized agencies not to recognize any alteration of the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on the basis of the above-mentioned “referendum” and to refrain from any action or dealing that might be interpreted as recognizing any such altered status.

The United Nations General Assembly in its subsequent numerous resolutions adopted since 2016 repeatedly condemned the ongoing temporary occupation and militarization of Crimea by the Russian Federation and reaffirmed the non-recognition of its annexation.

In line with this, we urge the Russian Federation to cease its practice of undermining our CSBMs instrument by inserting its false narratives within the military information exchange.

Touching upon the topic of Crimea, let me draw your attention to the ongoing impediment to the freedom of navigation in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, which goes hand in hand with provocative destabilizing militarization of this region by Russia.

According to the open sources, Russia's actions at the Sea of Azov continue to take its toll on the social and economic situation in the coastal regions of Ukraine.

Notably, in July 2021, the average duration of artificial delays by the Russian Federation of vessels going from the Black Sea to the Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov, Mariupol and Berdiansk, was over 30 hours. In August 2021, the average duration of artificial delays on this direction was over 15 hours.

In July 2021, vessels carrying exports from Mariupol and Berdiansk were delayed at the exit from the Sea of Azov by the Russian Federation for an average of 28 hours. In August 2021, the vessels on this direction were delayed for an average of over 30 hours.

We are also concerned over the military build-up by Russia of the temporarily occupied Crimea and near our borders. After the completion of military exercise ZAPAD-2021, we don’t observe a swift withdrawal of battalion tactical groups of the Russian army to their peace time locations. There are 19 such groups that were redeployed during the exercise. At the moment, they continue to carry out operations in the Southern military district of the Russian Federation. Each of them amounts to a thousand servicemen.

In this vein, we reiterate our call on Russia to match its declarations with actions and withdraw all additional troops redeployed near the borders with Ukraine and other participating States following the large-scale exercises held in April and September this year.

In conclusion, we urge the Russian Federation to stop its aggression against Ukraine, reverse its illegal occupation of Crimea, de-occupy parts of Donbas, and restore freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, through the Kerch Strait and in the Sea of Azov. Russia must fully implement its commitments under the Minsk agreements, including the withdrawal of its armed forces, mercenaries, armed formations, and weapons from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

We would kindly ask for our statement to be appended to the journal of the day.

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.