Mr. Chairperson,  

Russia continues its aggressive war against the civilian population.

Another missile and drone strike on Ukraine, which we discussed about just a week ago, claimed lives of 11 innocent people and 11 more were injured.

Russia still wants to take revenge on the residents of Kherson region.

Liberated areas are under constant fire, as we heard from the survivors during the informal meeting yesterday.

People want to return to their liberated homes. Visit their relatives. Take care of their elderly parents. This is their biggest dream. So simple.

But they cannot because of a constant risk to their lives due to shelling.

In general, according to the city's military administration, since November 20, Kherson has been shelled more than 1,700 times.

74 people died, including 1 child. 207 people were injured, including 5 children. 1,300 objects were destroyed or damaged.

In particular, on January 29, the russian shelled Kherson all day.

Their targets, as always, were residential buildings, social and transport facilities, including a hospital, post office, and bus station.

So far, six wounded and three dead have been reported.

The day before, on January 28, russians shelled the city of Kostiantynivka, in Donetsk region, with S-300 missiles. Again, residential area. At least, 14 people were injured. Three killed.

The city of Kharkiv and its residents are not safe from the russian terrorist attacks as well.

On January 30, a woman was killed and three more people were injured as a result of russian missiles hitting a residential building in Kharkiv.

However, the most difficult remains in Donetsk region.

Just yesterday, late in the evening, russian forces committed another heinous crime against civilian population of Ukraine.

Due to the missile attack on the city of Kramatorsk, a part of residential building was destroyed, so far, three persons killed and 18 wounded.

There are endless attempts to conquer Bakhmut, Vuhledar and other localities in the region.

Actually, these cities are being deliberately destroyed by the russians. This we had already seen in Mariupol before.

They do not pay attention to great losses on their side. In some wars russia lost less people than near Bakhmut.

And every day they are getting more and more anxious to declare Bakhmut under their control. This anxiety on their side produces a lot of fakes.

But should we be surprised after the kremlin regime created a fake reality about attempted annexation of Ukrainian territories last September?

At the same time, it is very telling how moscow is obsessed with the war, not a peace.

Dear colleagues,  

Testimonies we heard yesterday serve as a stark reminder of how the daily life of people changed dramatically under the occupation.

It is clear, as long as russia’s boots remain on Ukraine’s soil, there will be new reports about abductions, illegal detentions, filtration, forced assimilation, tortures, executions, deportations, sexual violence and so on.

Even if the guns are silenced, the crimes will continue unabated.

Therefore, we do not need a ceasefire, but a complete withdrawal of russia from the territory of Ukraine.

As we heard yesterday, no one – from a minor to an adult – can feel safe under the occupation.

Last week, we saw this again in the occupied Crimea, which has been turned into a lawless zone since 2014.

On January 26, three puppet “courts” of Simferopol simultaneously held mass trials against the Crimean Tatars.

The occupation administration "sentenced" 32 Crimean Tatars to administrative arrest for a period of 10 to 16 days.

Their only fault is that the day before, they came to support their fellow citizens, who were arrested on January 24 on politically biased accusations of terrorism and “ties with Ukraine”.

This is another evidence that there is no other way to guarantee freedom and human rights but to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity in full.

This is not only about the OSCE principles. It’s about people.

However, the “Crimean case” is also a stark reminder that putin will not stop until he is stopped.

It was Crimea, from which russia moved its troops and military equipment to occupy the south of Ukraine.

It is from Crimea that russian troops receive their reinforcement for the continuation of the aggression.

It is the control over Crimea, that helps russia to try to provoke a global food crisis.          

It is Crimea itself an example, of what would happen in the future if putin is allowed to get a tactical pause.

There would be another attack.  

Dear colleagues,

How can we still have illusions about the sincerity of those who told us until the last day a year ago, that there would be no attack on Ukraine?

How can we still have any illusions about russia's commitment to dialogue after so many years of destroying the OSCE?

And after stealing by russia of 71 SMM vehicles has become a new low?

When we speak about principles of the Helsinki Final Act that were trampled by russia, it means thousand killed, dozens of thousands wounded and millions of my fellow citizens displaced.

 It is about Olha Koiova who has been looking for her husband for six months after his illegal detention by russians in the Zaporizhzhia region.

It is about Vadym Goida, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov, SMM staff, who trusted in principles of our Organization.

It is about Nariman Dzhelial and hundreds of political prisoners and civilian hostages captured by russia.

Therefore, I want to repeat that our actions are needed by the people on the ground.

They expect more sanctions and more weapons to stop russia and to restore the rule of law.      

Ukraine is extremely grateful to its partners for their recent decisions to reinforce our self-defence capacities.

But Ukraine also needs longer-range of weapons. And fighter jets. Ukraine needs them to protect itself from attacks and to prevent a new escalation.

Because russia attacks only when it sees a weakness. When it sees a strength, moscow steps back.     

Because we remember what meant uncontested sky for russia over Mariupol. 

They pay no attention to sighs like “ДІТИ” or “Children” in front of theatres where civilians take a shelter.

Because there is only one red line, which has already been crossed by russia. This is the respect for a human life.

And it has been crossed by russia so many times.   

As President Zelenskyy said earlier this week, “all of us are making efforts to ensure that russia not only fails in regaining ground on the battlefield, but also loses its last hope for aggression in its revanche attempts. Russia's defeat will prevent any alternatives to a lasting and reliable peace”.

With sustained and timely assistance, Ukraine will limit russia’s ability to attack anyone again in the future.

At the same time, russia must be held accountable for its atrocities against Ukrainians.

All responsible states must stand up for justice by aiding in the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine.

The meeting of the Core Group on establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crimes of Aggression against Ukraine last week in Prague was an important step in this regard.

The restoration of justice in Ukraine, Europe, and the world this is what President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula is aimed for.

Colleagues, we all know and believe that freedom is stronger.

But there are times when one has to prove it with resolve, unity and determination.

And I am happy that we have all of them.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.