Mr. Chairperson,  

Ukraine continues to take measures to relieve the consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in a result of russia’s terrorist act.

First, it is about providing drinking water to those who depend on the Kakhovka reservoir.

Kryvyi Rih and the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, cities and villages in Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions with hundreds of thousands of people are at risk.

Funds have been allocated by the Government for the construction of new water mains to provide drinking water.

On its part, the Ministry of Health has already warned the population about risks of using traditional sources of water and the possibility of the outbreak of infectious diseases.

Second, evacuation of people is underway. Over 40 thousand people are in danger of being flooded. Ukrainian authorities are evacuating over 17,000 people. Unfortunately, over 25,000 civilians are on the territory under russian control – people are just abandoned on the roofs of their houses. 

Due to the failure of the russian occupation administration to evacuate people, Ukraine has called upon relevant international organizations to step in.  

Third, the coordination of an international response continues.

On the very day of the attack, President Zelenskyy informed IAEA Director General Grossi about the large-scale consequences of the russian act of terrorism.

Ways of minimizing risks for the ZNPP security were discussed.

Upon Ukraine’s invitation, the Director General will visit Ukraine shortly.

Fourth, Ukraine has also started to evaluate the economic impact of this terrorist act, its consequences for biodiversity.

Ukraine’s metallurgy takes emergency measures and reduces production to decrease the use of water.

This would cause additional aftershocks for the Ukrainian economic system in general.

According to a preliminary assessment by the Ministry of Agriculture, about 10 thousand hectares of agricultural land on the right bank to be flooded and much more on the left bank.

The russian-made disaster affects the water supply of 31 field irrigation systems in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. 

In 2021, these systems provided irrigation for 584,000 hectares capable to produce about 4 million tons of grain and oil crops. As we see, russia managed to find a new way how to weaponize food.

In addition to that, the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP increases a risk of desertification and soil degradation in the region in coming years.

Fisheries and fauna are endangered. The mass death of fish on the Dnipro banks is already observed. Consequences for people and water will follow.

The whole ecosystem is under threat of extinction. Nova Kakhovka is a part of the Nizhnedniprovsk Nature park.

This is about 80 thousand of hectares of unique floodplain territory with its ecosystem, which now will be destroyed and modified.

In the future, when water subsides, biological resources will end up on dry land.

The massive influx of fresh water also brings risks to the Black Sea ecosystem.

At the same time, high water is washing different pollutants, including sediments, chemicals, and heavy metals, together with fuel and oil into the Black Sea. This also includes increased mine threat.

This adds a regional dimension to this russian-made disaster.

This act of russia’s ecocide potentially will seriously affect the whole region.

As well, it undermines the economic and environmental dimension of the OSCE comprehensive security.

At the same, practical contribution of the OSCE in addressing these challenges is much needed.

We are grateful for the OSCE readiness to support Ukraine as expressed in today’s statement.

We look forward to coordinating modalities of possible support. As well as we look forward to discussions during the upcoming meetings, including the CIO Conference in Struga and the OSCE Economic and Environmental committee.   

The scale of damage inflicted on my country is yet to be established. However, the gravity of crime is already unprecedented. 

Therefore, russia must be held accountable for this despicable terrorist act as well as russia’s future reparations must cover all losses caused by this ecocide.

As President Zelenskyy mentioned, the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP amounts to the use of an “environmental bomb of mass destruction”.

So, our response must correspond with that.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General has already talked with the ICC Prosecutor about the investigation of the dam explosion. The EU Commissioner for Justice was also briefed. 

Ukraine stands ready to continue cooperation with the international justice mechanisms, including the ICC, and provide all relevant evidence.

So, after all, should one be surprised to observe on the russian side the same technique of blaming the victim for your own crimes? As we observed on many times in the past, like about the downing of MH17?

Likewise, russian envoys fiercely denied moscow’s preparation of the full-scale invasion, accusing us of “hysteria and propaganda”.

Did not we hear the same “propaganda argument” from a russian diplomat two days ago before he ran out of the room when we gathered for the special meeting?    

However, after 15 months of daily crimes, we should not allow russia to get us into “not all obvious” games.

And when one may hear russian “version” of the events, it is important to remember about russia’s continued denial of Ukraine’s right to exist.

This denial remains a key driver for the ongoing aggression and genocide against people of Ukraine.   

A huge humanitarian, environmental, economic crisis, which is looming before Ukraine after the destruction of the dam, is a bingo for this russia’s strategy, isn’t it? 

Dear colleagues, 

It is more than a coincidence, that russia committed a terrorist act on the Kahovka HPP on the day when the International Court of Justice restarted public hearings in the case of Ukraine vs russia.

 This case concerns the application of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. 

Ukraine referred to the ICJ in 2017 to seek international justice and protect people of Ukraine who were facing an ongoing campaign of terror in Donbas and cultural erasure, mostly Crimean Tatars, in Crimea.

Today russia no longer limits itself to Crimea and Donbas.

And now it is more than obvious that Ukraine was right to alarm the World of russia’s mounting violations of international law.

Half- peace then led to a total war today.

May campaign of missile terror, when hundreds of missiles and drones rained on Ukraine, is a stark reminder what it means to live next to the terrorist state.

Even since our last Thursday meeting russia fired again 15, 6 and 35 missiles at Ukraine on 2, 4 and 6 of June respectively. 

In his opening statement to the ICJ, Ukraine’s Agent Anton Korynevych rightly summarise russia’s actions in Ukraine. And I quote.

“Russia’s tactics are flexible.  Where it could occupy Ukrainian territory, it imposed discrimination.  Where it could not, Russian officials fueled terror. […] Russia’s violations are variations on the same theme”.

In other words, when russians recognize that they are not able to hold occupied territories, they resort to scorched-earth tactics. The destruction of the Kakhovka dam is the most disgusting example of these tactics. 

And in the view of this new level of russia’s barbarity, we have to learn lessons of the recent past.

No more half-peace initiatives for russia allowing it to prepare a new offensive, but only full and unconditional withdrawal of the russian troops from Ukraine, beyond the borders of 1991.

No more appeasement of the aggressor. Justice and accountability matter for the non-repetition of crimes. A Special tribunal is a must to end russia’s impunity. 

No more security uncertainty in Europe. Traditional wisdom that Ukraine’s NATO membership would be too costly for European security proved to be wrong.

This only fed russia’s revanchism.

Ukraine’s accession to Western institutions, including the EU and NATO, would be the best investment into Euro-Atlantic security and prosperity.

Colleagues, russia is losing the war; however, it is still capable to commit terrorist acts. This must stop.

New sanctions against russia and more defensive systems for Ukraine will effectively end russia’s campaign of terror.

I thank you, Mr Chair.