Ukraine at OSCE: Decision to invade Ukraine has become strategic disaster for Russia

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Ukraine's Deputy Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Nataliia Kostenko said this at a meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation in Vienna on Wednesday, February 22.

"Now, one year later [since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began], we can proudly say that despite significant military advantage, Russia failed to reach its key goals. Ukraine did not surrender in three days, as the Kremlin was expecting. Ukraine is exercising its legitimate right of self-defense according to Article 51 of the UN Charter," she said.

Kostenko said Ukraine's military not only stopped the invasion, "but were able to liberate almost half of Ukraine's newly occupied territories thanks to successful counter-offensives." "We continue to fight and we will win," she added.

She said that Russian troops still attempt to seize the entire territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as well as to advance in Ukraine's southern regions. However, even using their superiority in manpower and the number of military equipment, "the Russian forces are not able to reach their goals and continue to bear significant losses," Kostenko said.

She noted that in total, since the beginning of the invasion, Russia has already lost 145,060 soldiers, 3,334 tanks, 6,569 armored vehicles, 2,345 pieces of artillery and 471 MLRS, 299 aircraft and 287 helicopters. "In this senseless and brutal war against Ukraine, the Russian Federation has already lost more soldiers than in any other war waged by it or by the Soviet Union after 1945," she said.

"These figures prove that the decision to launch the invasion has become a strategic disaster for the Russian Federation. The Kremlin probably needs more time to admit it. Meanwhile, the Russian Federation has not changed its plans to destroy Ukraine and continues the war sparing no efforts or human lives," Kostenko said.

She also noted that over the past year, it has become clear that "if the Russian military machine is not defeated on the battlefield in Ukraine, it will soon become a serious military threat to its neighbors, including all of Europe." "That is why Ukraine's victory is so important for European and global security," she said.

"The sooner and the more military assistance Ukraine gets, particularly artillery and ammunition, tanks, long-range missiles, and fighter jets, the sooner the war will end with a just and lasting peace," Kostenko said.

She added that Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine and the entire rules-based order had destroyed global security and endangered all nations. "This war must end with the triumph of international law and the UN Charter. In order to restore justice for Ukraine, Europe, and the whole world," Kostenko said.

Photo: crisisgroup.org