Ukraine at OSCE: Russia preparing new strikes on energy sector

Ukraine has told the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) that it has sufficient information indicating Russia is preparing further strikes on the country's energy sector and infrastructure, including facilities and networks linked to nuclear power plants.

Source: Rostyslav Palahusynets, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to international organisations in Vienna, speaking at a meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation, as reported by by Ukrinform

Details: Palahusynets said that Ukraine has sufficient information indicating that Russia is preparing further strikes on Ukraine's energy sector and infrastructure, including facilities and networks servicing nuclear power plants.

He stressed that every Russian attack on the energy sector during the harsh winter weakens and undermines the efforts of key states, including the US, to end the war. According to Palahusynets, while Ukraine is acting as constructively as possible in diplomatic efforts, Russia is focusing exclusively on conducting strikes and abusing civilians.

He also reported that Russia has conducted 256 aerial attacks on Ukraine's energy and critical infrastructure during the current heating season alone, noting that strikes on energy facilities have been taking place almost daily since 11 January.

Palahusynets stated that war criminal Vladimir Putin continued to wage a genocidal war against women, children and the elderly. He said that Russia's winter campaign has a clear humanitarian dimension, explaining that the attacks are synchronised and systematically planned to maximise civilian suffering as temperatures dropped to extreme levels and disruptions to heating, electricity and water supplies became life-threatening. Russia is deliberately trying to create living conditions aimed at the physical destruction of the Ukrainian people, which, he said, directly corresponds to Article II (c) of Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The Ukrainian delegation urged OSCE participating states to translate unity into concrete action by accelerating the delivery of air defence systems and ammunition, expanding capabilities to counter missiles and drones and increasing sustained political, economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia to stop its aggression and ensure accountability.

Background:

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, following a meeting with Oleh Ivashchenko, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), that Russia is preparing further strikes on Ukraine's energy system and infrastructure, including facilities that service nuclear power plants.
• DIU reported earlier that day that Russia is considering carrying out attacks on substations linked to Ukraine's nuclear power plants in a bid to force Ukraine to agree to unacceptable demands.

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