OSCE Special Permanent Council 1393 Vienna, 11 October 2022

1. The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms the latest heinous attacks by Russia on civilians and civilian infrastructure in several Ukrainian cities and regions, including the centre of Kyiv, Kyiv region, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Kharkiv region, Khmelnytsky region, Kirovohrad region, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Sumy region, Ternopil, Vinnitsya, Zaporizhzhia region and Zhytomyr region. On Monday morning alone, Russia launched over 80 rocket attacks and about 24 UAV attacks against civilian targets in Ukraine.
2. These are barbaric and cowardly attacks on civilian infrastructure, in particular energy- and electricity infrastructure, as well as residential buildings, streets, parks, playgrounds, pedestrian bridges and other public places, targeting innocent civilians on their way to work and school in the morning traffic. They must be stopped immediately. We express our heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Russian attacks, their families and the Ukrainian people.
3. We continue to be gravely concerned regarding Russia’s actions in and around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as well as other nuclear objects and sites in Ukraine. Russia raises significantly the risk of a nuclear accident. At the same time, the reported violation of the airspace of the Republic of Moldova when conducting the aforementioned airstrikes represents another extremely worrying and irresponsible action of the Russian Federation, contributing to a further escalation of tensions in the region.
4. These attacks by Russia aim to cause maximum harm to the civilian population.   Indiscriminate attacks against civilians or civilian objects without distinction, as well as intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such, or against individual civilians not taking part in hostilities, is prohibited under international humanitarian law and amounts to war crimes. As the EU High Representative reiterated yesterday to Foreign Minister Kuleba, Russia’s leadership and its accomplice –Lukashenka’s regime in Belarus - as well as all those responsible and involved in any war crimes committed in Ukraine, will be held accountable. We will spare no efforts to ensure that justice prevails.
5. The unfounded accusations of the Belarusian government against Ukraine are utterly unacceptable. In addition, we deplore Lukashenka’s announcement in relation to the deployment of a joint Belarusian and Russian regional group of troops. We urge the Belarusian authorities to refrain from any further involvement in Russia’s brutal, callous and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and, in particular, to immediately stop allowing the territory of Belarus to serve as a launchpad for attacks against Ukraine and Ukrainian civilians.
6. The EU remains unwavering in its support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and demands that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, including the illegally annexed Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. We condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in the strongest possible terms and urge Russia to immediately stop its illegal aggression and reiterate our call on the Belarusian authorities to stop enabling the Russian aggression and to abide by their international obligations.
7. We commend the Ukrainian people's strength, courage, and resistance to withstand Russia's war of aggression. The EU will continue its political, military and economic support to Ukraine for as long as needed and to the extent needed.

We will continue to stand with Ukraine