STATEMENT BY THE DELEGATION OF UKRAINE at the 1544 th meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council Agenda Item 2, “Report by the OSCE Co -ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities” As delivered by Ambassador Yurii Vitrenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, (27 November 2025) Mr / Madam Chair, Excellencies, The delegation of Ukraine expresses its appreciation to Ambassador Bakyt Dzhusupov for the report presented and for the professional work of the Office of the Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities. We value the Office’s engagement in such important areas as addressing environmental threats, emergency response, support for water management, assistance to reforms, capacity development in the environmental sphere, and project work in the economic domain. Ukraine also notes the important contribution of the Co-ordinator to the implementation of projects in our country, in particular in the areas of assessing the environmental consequences of the war, environmental data management, chemical safety and emergency prevention, open data, and digital integrity. These initiatives strengthen our institutions and help us respond to the challenges caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Mr. Chair, Russia continues its targeted strikes against civilian and energy infrastructure, including facilities that present elevated environmental risks. The Kremlin is attempting to weaponize winter, just as it previously weaponized gas supplies, by striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to deprive civilians of heat, electricity and water. The destruction of critical infrastructure creates risks of a humanitarian catastrophe, technological accidents, and the release of toxic substances from strikes and fires causes long-term harm to the environment and to human health. Ukraine suffers more than any other country in the world from mine contamination and the resulting extensive pollution of land, water, and air. Our estimates show that the scale of environmental damages amounts to 123 billion euros. We have registered more than 10 000 cases of environmental The OSCE Secretariat bears no responsibility for the content of this document and circulates it without altering its content. The distribution by OSCE Conference Services of this document is without prejudice to OSCE decisions, as set out in documents agreed by OSCE participating States. PC.DEL/1298/25 28 November 2025 ENGLISH only
2 damage since February 2022, and this figure applies only to the territories under Ukraine’s control and continues to grow. A total of 744 water management facilities have been damaged or destroyed. These threats go far beyond a single state and affect the security of the entire region. Given the scale of destruction, Ukraine calls on the OSCE Secretariat to devote greater attention to the environmental consequences of Russia’s war, to strengthen the Organization’s analytical capacity, and to continue supporting Ukraine in the areas of environmental security, climate adaptation, and sustainable recovery. Mr. Chair, Ukraine welcomes the launch of the Second Phase of the Support Programme for Ukraine under the auspices of the Special Representative of the CiO-OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. We are grateful to all donor States for supporting OSCE project activities in Ukraine and encourage consideration of further contributions to ensure the sustainability and expansion of these initiatives. Distinguished colleagues, Allow me to take this opportunity to invite all OSCE delegations to participate in the special event on 28 November 2025 at the Hofburg, dedicated to environmental security in Ukraine and the OSCE’s work in the areas of humanitarian demining, environmental rehabilitation, and chemical emergency response. Ukrainian officials and experts who are directly engaged in mitigating the consequences of the war and planning Ukraine’s environmental recovery will take part in the event. Mr. Chair, Ukraine remains committed to constructive co-operation with the Co-ordinator, the Secretariat, and all participating States in order to strengthen our shared security and our collective responsibility for the future of our region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.