Ukraine at OSCE: Several diplomatic institutions come under aggressor’s fire

Since the Russian invasion started, Russian troops have shelled a building of Greece’s Consulate General and an office of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Mariupol, as well as the honorary consulates of Slovenia, Azerbaijan and Albania in Kharkiv.

The relevant statement was made by Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council.

“It looks like Russia wants to ‘liberate’ Ukraine from diplomatic missions as well. Over a few days, as a result of Russian missile and air strikes, a building of Greece’s Consulate General and an office of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Mariupol have been damaged. In addition, the honorary consulates of Slovenia, Azerbaijan and Albania in Kharkiv were destroyed,” Tsymbaliuk told.

In his speech, Tsymbaliuk also noted Russia’s acts of nuclear terrorism and the seizure of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

“The only grid providing the supply of power for Chornobyl NPP and its nuclear facilities has been damaged. The situation is getting extremely dangerous. Putin’s barbaric war is threatening the entire Europe. He must be stopped!” Tsymbaliuk stressed.

According to Tsymbaliuk, Russia has trapped itself and has to come up with new and new excuses to continue its aggressive war against Ukraine. In his words, these excuses are not for the international community, which understands everything, but for the Russian people to keep the Kremlin regime alive. In a few days, Russia may even declare that it was Ukraine that started the war.

“In order to survive, Russia needs to stop the war, withdraw its troops and restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, including Crimea, and, of course, take responsibility for all the crimes committed against the Ukrainian people, as well as provide guarantees that aggression will not repeat,” Tsymbaliuk noted.

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