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STATEMENT BY THE DELEGATION OF UKRAINE As delivered by Ambassador Yurii Vitrenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna 1579th meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council Agenda Item 2, “The Russian Federation’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine” (1 October 2026)
Mr Chairperson, Russia’s brutal attacks against Ukraine continue to speak much more loudly about Kremlin’s real intentions than all of Moscow’s rhetoric combined. Since the end of August, Russian jet-powered drones have targeted Kyiv and the Kyiv region almost non-stop. Moscow’s strikes have led to a sharp increase in civilian casualties in the capital of Ukraine. On 23 September, at least two people were killed and 45 injured. On 25 September, at least seven people were killed and 59 injured. Just yesterday, two civilians were killed in Kyiv as a result of another overnight Russian attack. In recent days, a maternity hospital, a historic church, and the buildings of the High Council of Justice and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine have also been damaged. The footage showing people trying to escape the burning building of the Academy of Sciences through its windows is perhaps the most illustrative example of this mediaeval barbarism. Last evening, Moscow struck the site of the Institute for Nuclear Research in downtown Kyiv. The point of impact was approximately 100 metres form the Kyiv research reactor. Russia also continues to strike frontline and border communities in the Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Donetsk, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions. On 24 September, a Russian strike on an agricultural facility in the Kharkiv region killed at least six workers and injured 12 others. a Russian attack, committed on the night of 28 September, against the city of Kharkiv injured 43 people. In total, in September alone, Russian attacks killed more than 200 civilians and injured more than 1,400. As Russian military casualties continue to rise, Moscow is increasing its terror campaign against Ukrainian cities and civilians. The intensification of Russia’s terror against the civilian population is an attempt to increase pressure on Ukrainian society and to compensate for the poor performance of the Russian army on the battlefield. From January through August, the Russian army lost almost 250,000 personnel. As President Zelenskyy underlined at the UN General Assembly last week, Russia already has 17 million square kilometres of its own territory. Yet, to gain another thousand square kilometres in Ukraine, Putin is paying with the lives of 248 Russian soldiers for every square kilometre. 2
Colleagues, Against this backdrop, the Russian leadership has shown no sign of willingness to stop the hostilities. Despite repeated calls for a ceasefire from the international community, including the United States and most recently from leaders of India and Kazakhstan for which we grateful, and Ukraine’s clearly stated readiness to negotiate, Moscow continues to intensify its war effort. Russia has already begun additional mobilisation, increasing the number of its military personnel. It is also drawing up plans for a further wave of mobilisation in 2026–2027, with a target of 600,000 new recruits in total. Moreover, Moscow is expanding its recruitment efforts among foreign nationals. According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Russia has already involved more than 28,000 foreigners from 136 countries in its war of aggression against Ukraine. Many of them have reportedly been recruited through deception, financial coercion, or direct force. No less telling are the figures relating to Russian investment in military production. Available information indicates that, in 2027, Russia plans to spend USD 12 billion on the production of jet-powered drones and loitering munitions. This level of investment highlights the scale of Moscow’s military-industrial build-up and poses a security threat extending beyond Ukraine. These plans also underscore Russia’s growing reliance on weaponised drone technology as a key component of its war effort. This capability is increasingly being used not only against Ukraine, but also against other European countries. Combined with repeated airspace violations and other incidents affecting neighbouring states, this is no longer merely a concern. It is a very real and escalating security threat for the entire OSCE area.
Mr Chairperson, Today, 1 October, Ukraine marks the Day of the Defenders. There is hardly a more appropriate occasion to state clearly that Ukraine will never surrender to Russia’s unlawful and maximalist demands. Ukraine has been defending itself for almost 13 years, and it will continue to do so. This self-defence is a just cause and it is fully in line with the UN Charter. I believe that any other participating State would do the same. Russia is choosing to make its strikes more brutal, and the international community must respond stronger. It is crystal clear that Russia will not end its war of aggression out of goodwill or in response to appeals alone. As Minister Sybiha said recently: “Russia is deliberately expanding the boundaries of what it believes the world will tolerate. Every attack left without a strong response only encourages the next one.” The only path to peace is to create conditions in which continuing the war becomes politically, militarily, and economically unbearable for Russia. Sustained pressure, strengthened sanctions, and unwavering support for Ukraine are essential to achieving this objective.
Thank you, Mr Chairperson.