Mr. Chairperson,  

After the withdrawal from the grain initiative, for three nights in a row, russia, a terrorist state, conducted targeted missile attacks on grain terminals in ports involved in the implementation of the Initiative.

On the night of July 18, due to russia’s attack terminals and berths of the Odesa port were damaged.

During the next night russia fired - 16 Kalibr missiles; 8 Kh-22 missiles; 6 Onyx; one Kh-59 guided air missile; and 32 Shaheds.

13 Kalibr missiles; 1 Kh-59; and 23 Shaheds were shot down.

At the same time, the strikes of the Kh-22 and Onyx missiles were aimed at the infrastructure of the Odesa region.

This time, the infrastructure of International and Ukrainian traders and carriers was damaged.

60 000 tonnes of grain were burnt away in the port of Chornomorsk.

And in total, there are about a million tonnes of food in the ports which are under daily attacks.

There were also casualties among civilians. At least, six people were wounded, including a 9-year-old boy.

And just a few hours before our meeting, russia again launched 7 cruise missiles Onyx; 4 cruise missiles Kh-22; 3 cruise missiles Kalibr; 5 cruise missiles Islander-K; 19 Shaheds at Odesa and also Mykolaiv.

Among Russia’s targets - ports, residential buildings, retail stores.

As reported, in Mykolaiv 18 people, including 5 children were injured.

However, these attacks are not only against Ukraine. They matter to the people of Africa and Asia.

Let me remind you that thanks to the grain initiative, almost 33 million tonnes of agricultural products were exported to 45 countries.

Sixty percent of the volumes went to the countries of Africa and Asia, in particular, these are Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan.

Among other destinations are China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. 

Within the initiative, according to the UN, only Bangladesh imported more than 1 mln tonnes of grain. 

Thanks to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, more than half of the global supply by the United Nations World Food Programme has been covered by Ukrainian grain.

Thanks to the initiative, grain prices around the world were stabilized. 

In June 2023, they were 23.4% lower than in March 2022, when Russia started the illegal blockade of our seaports.

This is why the Ukrainian grain matters for the global market.

And what we hear from moscow? 

As Arkadiy Zlochevskiy, the head of the russian grain union confessed, I quote, “everyone looked with pain at the prolongation of this deal. If we calculate, during the implementation of this deal, we have lost more than a billion dollars”.

These words speak volumes about how russia cares about people in need. 

Furthermore, russia threatens to hit even civilian vessels heading to Ukrainian ports.

So, should we allow this piracy?

What about global implications for freedom of navigation?

Isn’t there a risk that this playbook will be applied elsewhere, should a would-be aggressor decide to impose a blockade in another region? 

Destabilization of food markets with unpredictable social consequences is russia’s goal.   

As President Zelenskyy stated, “All people around the world have a right to stability. Africa has the right to stability. Asia has the right to stability. Europe has the right to stability. Today is the time to protect our collective right to stability from the terrorist regime in the kremlin”.

Therefore, we urge the international community to join Ukraine’s efforts to save grain exports to the world.

Together, we must protect those most vulnerable around the world.

The President of Ukraine has already sent letters to the President of Türkiye and the UN Secretary General with a proposal to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

This issue, among others, was in focus during Minister Kuleba’s visit to the UN headquarters in New York a few days ago. 

By taking joint and resolute actions, we must ensure that russian food blackmail fails.

Dear colleagues,

During the last meeting of the Permanent Council, the russian representative stated that russia had never used cluster munition in Ukraine. Again, a lie.

Let me quote the first report prepared by ODIHR in July last year.

It confirms that “the evidence collected suggests the extensive use by the Russian Federation’s armed forces of explosive weapons with wide area effects in densely populated areas. In many documented cases such weapons were equipped with cluster munitions.”

Furthermore, the Moscow Mechanism Mission in April 2022 in its report raised another important question, “how a Russian commander using cluster munitions against targets in densely populated areas could comply with his or her obligation to “take all feasible precautions in the choice of means and methods of attack with a view to avoiding, and in any event to minimizing, incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects”?

However, the lie of russian diplomats is, probably, the most minor russia’s wrongdoing.

A recent report issued by ODIHR again provides a horrifying account of new crimes. 

Just one quote. “Methods of torture and ill-treatment recounted to ODIHR by survivors include beatings, electrocution, cigarette burns, forced nudity, positional torture, sleep deprivation, mock executions, prolonged use of handcuffs, hooding, threats of death, mutilation, physical or sexual violence, and threats of harm to family members”.

Despite the protection provided by international law, the Ukrainian POWs are facing constant torture, degrading and inhuman treatment.

As reported, “POWs, both male and female, were subjected to severe beatings and torture during their detention, which in some cases led to death”.

The denial of access to social benefits, humanitarian aid, access to health, or education for children with the aim to enforce russia’s passportization, in fact, also amounts to torture.

This forced passportization brings us again to the preparation of the pseudo-election for September, as well as to the call of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission to “contribute to the earliest possible termination of russia’s occupation, to the application and/or strengthening of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) against officials and citizens of the russian federation involved in the organization of activities for preparing and holding the pseudo-elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine”.       

At the same time, taking civilian hostages by russia, as highlighted in ODIHR’s report, demands our special attention. 

As the ODIHR reports, “torture and ill-treatment were widespread in detention and used to extract confessions or information, or to otherwise force detainees to co-operate, as well as to humiliate, intimidate or punish them […] detention conditions were often deplorable with overcrowded cells, lack of fresh air, freezing temperatures, inadequate sanitary conditions and lack of food and water.”

According to Ukraine’s National Police, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 8 800 civilians have become victims of enforced disappearances and remain illegally detained, with more than 10 200 people considered missing.

Therefore, I would like to reiterate the call by Minister Kuleba that “we urgently need new international instruments for punishing the abduction of civilians and ensuring the safe return of civilian hostages”.

We expect the ODIHR to keep a close eye on russia’s widespread practice of taking civilian hostages.

We also believe that the Office will come up with ideas and recommendations on how to address this crime and help people to regain their freedom.    

Dear colleagues, 

Russia’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide continue unabated in the context of its war of aggression against Ukraine.

By resorting again to food blackmailing, russia proves that it continues to consider the starvation as a war tool.

However, after the Holodomor artificially planned and executed by moscow in the past should we be surprised?   

Russia with the support of Belarus, as also confessed publicly by head of the Belarusian Red Cross Dzmitry Shautsou, continues to steal Ukraine’s children.

Do we need more evidences of russia’s genocidal intentions?

Russia has created Wagner, a terrorist group and a threat to global security.

This group is responsible for war crimes in different countries across the globe, but it also exploits the resources of those countries to support russia’s war efforts.

Kills and exploits. Exploits and kills. A vicious circle of self-supporting war machine, isn’t it?    

All these crimes testify to the fact that russia is a criminal state run by war criminals.

All practices applied by the russian leadership, by ruscism are well known from the crimes committed in the past by both Nazi and Communist regimes.

And we all know what to do to end these horrors in Europe.

By approximating Ukraine’s victory, by establishing a Special Tribunal and by ending russia’s impunity.

This all is a part of 10-point Peace Formula as suggested by President Zelenskyy, aimed at restoring just and lasting peace in Ukraine and Europe.

 

I thank you, Mr. Chair.