Russian bombers must be destroyed before they drop bombs - Ukraine at OSCE

Viktoriia Kuvshynnykova, Ukraine's Acting Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna, said this at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with guided aerial bombs. Over the past week, Russia launched an average of about 100 such bombs per day. Moreover, the Russians boast that they have started using three-tonne bombs. As you know, planes drop these bombs far behind the front line," she said in her speech.

At the same time, Kuvshynnykova stressed that the halting of the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region demonstrated that it is necessary to launch early strikes on military facilities on Russian territory.

"In view of this, military logic and the right to self-defense, guaranteed by Article 51 of the UN Charter, also dictate the need to make further decisions. International law is clear on this issue -- there can be no safe places for murderers. Quite the contrary, international law requires taking all necessary measures to create a safe haven for the civilian population. By striking legitimate military targets deep inside Russia, we will protect them. Russian bombers must be destroyed before they launch deadly guided bombs or missiles," the Ukrainian diplomat said.

She added that Ukraine's urgent needs are air defense systems, combat aircraft, artillery shells and long-range weapons.

"This is how we will be able to effectively fulfill our humanitarian duty -- to protect people from aggression and literally from enslavement. Let us recall all the critical decisions made in the last two years. None of them led to escalation, despite Russia's threats. On the contrary, Moscow used indecisiveness in actions to escalate violence. And it is time for the free world to seize the initiative once and for all," Kuvshynnykova said.