According to a Ukrinform correspondent, Yurii Vitrenko, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, made this statement during a regular meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council.
“Russia’s escalation of its campaign of terror against the civilian population and its brutal actions in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are a clear manifestation of the Kremlin’s growing desperation. Russia has failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives. It has failed to destroy Ukrainian statehood, just as it has failed to break the Ukrainian people’s resolve to resist,” Vitrenko said.
He informed the delegations of OSCE member states that last night Russia carried out one of the largest airstrikes on Ukraine. As a result of the massive attack on Kyiv, more than 20 facilities were damaged, mostly residential buildings. An ambulance station, a research institute, a hotel, and businesses were also damaged.
In addition, the Kharkiv, Kyiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Cherkasy regions were attacked.
A Ukrainian official also emphasized that last week alone, Russia deployed approximately 1,400 attack drones, nearly 1,500 guided bombs, and 19 missiles against Ukraine.
“The vast majority of Russian strikes are directed not at military or defense facilities, but at civilian targets, including critical infrastructure, transportation networks, and educational and healthcare institutions,” he emphasized.
According to the diplomat, systematic attacks on medical infrastructure are of particular concern.
“According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, at least 2,617 medical facilities have been attacked, 331 of which have been completely destroyed. Since the beginning of this year alone, the World Health Organization’s monitoring system has recorded 300 attacks on medical facilities and personnel in Ukraine. According to WHO-confirmed data, these attacks have resulted in the deaths of 15 people and injuries to another 116. These inhumane methods of the aggressor must not become the norm,” Vitrenko stated.
In addition, the head of the Ukrainian mission to the OSCE noted that instead of the expected blitzkrieg, the Kremlin has become embroiled in a protracted war that has already cost Russia nearly 1.5 million casualties. At the same time, Ukraine continues to successfully strike targets within the Russian military-industrial complex and oil infrastructure.
Read also: Death toll from Russia's massive strike on Kyiv rises to 25“The Kremlin may try to conceal the scale of these losses, but it cannot escape the consequences of its own illegal aggression. Sanctions against Russia, as well as against all those who support its war of aggression, must be strengthened; existing loopholes must be closed; and compliance with sanctions must be ensured. Only sustained pressure can force Russia to end its war of aggression. Every step that strengthens Ukraine and raises the cost of Russian aggression brings us closer to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace,” Vitrenko emphasized.
As reported by Ukrinform, 27 people were killed and another 91 were injured as a result of a massive Russian attack on Kyiv.
Photo: OSCE