EU Statement on the Russian Federation’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine - OSCE Permanent Council No. 1574
Russia continues to show no interest in a negotiated end to its war of aggression against Ukraine. Having failed to achieve its military and strategic objectives, Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. The past days brought further civilian deaths and injuries across Ukraine, as Russia continued its relentless ballistic missile, drone and guided bomb attacks. On 19 July, Russia unleashed the largest number of ballistic missiles since the start of its full-scale invasion – over forty– in a brutal attack on Kyiv. The European Union strongly condemns these attacks and calls again on Russia to end its war of aggression and agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
After more than 1,600 days of aggression, the human toll is devastating. With at least 293 civilians killed and 1,990 injured, June recorded the highest monthly number of civilian casualties in Ukraine since April 2022. According to the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, civilian casualties in the first six months of 2026 were 37 per cent higher than in the same period in 2025 and 114 per cent higher than in the same period in 2024. We commend the fortitude, determination and resilience of the Ukrainian people and their leadership in resisting Russian aggression and defending their land.
The European Union is also gravely concerned by the findings of ODIHR’s ninth interim report, which shows that Ukrainian civilians in the temporarily occupied territories continue to face arbitrarily detention and enforced disappearance, often because of perceived pro-Ukrainian views or refusal to co-operate with the occupation authorities. This reflects a serious pattern of human rights violations aimed at intimidating the population, silencing dissent, and consolidating control. We condemn the reported torture, conflict-related sexual violence, incommunicado detention, and prosecutions on apparently fabricated charges. We call on Russia to release immediately and unconditionally all unlawfully detained civilians, including the three OSCE staff members — Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov.
The European Union is determined to ensure accountability for all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. We value the contribution of ODIHR and OSCE human dimension mechanisms to this effort. The OSCE plays and will continue to play a role in view of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
We remain firmly committed to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, grounded in international law, the principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, and fully respecting Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The EU and its Member States stand ready to contribute to robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine, in line with international law and their respective competences and capabilities. We will also continue to provide comprehensive support to Ukraine. We remain determined to increase pressure on Russia until it demonstrates a genuine political will to engage in meaningful negotiations towards a just and lasting peace.
We urge all countries to immediately cease any assistance to Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine, whether direct or indirect, and notably through the provision of dual-use goods and components. In particular, we strongly condemn the deployment of the DPRK’s military forces in the war against Ukraine as well as the continued military support provided to Russia by Iran, Belarus and the DPRK, among others.
Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.