Statement of H.E. Mr. Sergiy Kyslytsya at the UNSC meeting on convening of the UN General Assembly emergency special session

Distinguished members of the Security Council,

I would like to express my gratitude to those of you who have supported the request to call the UN General Assembly emergency special session. I immediately express my regret that once again the Rule 20 of the Provisional rules of the Security Council has not been properly applied by the Presidency.

However, I express my relief that this rape of the institute of the Presidency of the UN Security Council will be over in less than 48 hours. For those, who appear to see no reason in supporting the request to have the emergency special session, despite my yesterday’s letter sent to all of you but the representative of the aggressor I would like just to tell you the following. Do you know the most frequent warning now in most of Ukrainian cities? “Attention! Air raids! Please proceed to the shelters”. And I do recommend you to look at the pictures and footages of what happens afterwards. Day to day. Night by night.

I will continue to invite all members of the Security Council to join this catharsis, this purgation of this institution. It will save this institution for the next generations. Russia persists in its aggression despite the initial plan of blitzkrieg. And it has failed. And we all see it. This failure prompted the bloody and mad Russian leadership to order heavy shelling of residential areas, critical infrastructure and storages of hazardous materials in retaliation for Ukrainian resilience and resistance. It is extremely alarming that the Russian President has resorted today to open nuclear blackmail. The world must take this threat very seriously.

Excellencies,

Now the most intense fighting occurs around the Ukrainian capital – Kyiv, in the northeast – Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernigiv, and in the south – Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Mariupol. Long-range operational and tactical aircraft, high-precision long-range weapons, multiple rocket launcher systems are widely used against the Ukrainians.

Among the most telling recent examples of the Russian course of action in Ukraine is the missile strike on the town of Vasylkiv, which is practically a suburb of the capital. A missile hit the oil depot causing a large-scale fire. There was shelling in Kharkiv that damaged the gas pipeline. According to Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko at least 16 children were killed since 24 February 2022, when a large-scale military aggression against Ukraine was launched. On February 26, 2022, a 7-year-old girl who had been seriously wounded during the shelling of the kindergarten "Sun" in the city of Okhtyrka died. On the same day, due to shelling and gunshots one child was killed, and two wounded in the National Children hospital “Ohmatdyt” in Kyiv.

Due to the threat of air raids, maternity hospitals in a number of Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Irpin, Bucha, to name just a few, could not operate normally. Ukrainian children are being born in bomb shelters. According to the Ministry of Education of Ukraine as of now more than 350,000 school children have no access to education, 33 schools with over 5,500 students are closed due to severe insecurity in civil areas.

Today, I have brought these appalling facts to the attention of UNICEF, asking to respond immediately to the situation, give proper qualification to the actions of the Russian Federation, and take all possible measures to stop further deaths and violence against children in Ukraine due to the blatant Russian aggression. I sent the the diplomatic note and I am looking forward to working with UNICEF on the issue. The losses of the enemy as of early February 27 have amounted to nearly 4300 personnel killed and over 200 taken as prisoners of war. Detailed information is posted by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Distinguished members of the security Council,

As always, Russia denies that its soldiers are taken prisoners thus effectively renouncing them. In this regard, Ukraine has opened a hotline, entitled “Come back alive from Ukraine” for relatives of Russian soldiers who are not aware of their whereabouts and cannot contact them. The hotline has been opened by the Government of Ukraine. Over 100 calls from Russian mothers were received during the first hour of its work. It is unfortune however that today pursuant to the decision of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, the line and the dedicated website have been shut down. So I want to use this opportunity to read a telephone number for anyone in Russia who would like to call and ask about killed soldiers or prisoners of war in Ukraine and inquire about them. It is +380894201860. We will distribute this information after this meeting. And I hope that after I have read this number in this meeting the Russian Federation will not shut down the UN website.

We condemn the fact that Belarus is being deeply engaged in the armed aggression against Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression this country has provided its territory for the Russian offensive. Today, Zhytomyr airport was hit by Iskander missiles, launched from the territory of Belarus.

Excellences,

Ukraine filed a case against the Russian Federation at the International Court of Justice, and a request for the Court to issue an order of provisional measures against Russia. Ukraine seeks an emergency hearing and an order by the Court that Russia must cease its unlawful attack on Ukraine. Russia will have to answer for its behavior at the World Court in The Hague. The Court has jurisdiction to hear Ukraine’s case, and to order emergency measures, on the basis of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“Genocide Convention”).

The Genocide Convention is one of the most important international treaties, drafted in response to the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. Russia, however, has twisted the concept of genocide, and perverted the solemn treaty obligation to prevent and punish genocide. It has made an absurd and unfounded claim of alleged genocide as a justification and pretext for its own aggression against Ukraine and violation of the sovereignty and human rights of the Ukrainian People. Ukraine’s case before the ICJ will establish that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is based on a lie and a gross violation of international law, and must be stopped. As the Ukrainian People continue to bravely stand against Russian aggression, Russia’s lies will be exposed, and Russia’s contempt for international law will be confirmed. Ukraine will bring Russia to account. I will switch to Russian

И в завершение, Василий Алексеевич, я хотел бы обратится лично к Вам, На одном из предыдущих заседаний я говорил о детях и родителях, которые гордятся или стыдятся из-за поступков своих родных. Мне кажется, Вы приняли очень лично мои слова. Я готов взять свои слова обратно, если Вы последуете примеру своего коллеги Олега Анисимова, главы делегации РФ на закрытии межправительственной экспертной группы по изменениям климата (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Сегодня, в ответ на эмоциональное выступление украинской делегации, а нам сейчас сложно говорить без эмоций, уж поймите, он сказал, что «те, кто видят происходящее, не находят никакого оправдания нападению на Украину». Это было сделано на закрытой части мероприятия, однако подтверждено несколькими участниками, а позже – и им самим. В жизни всегда есть место выбору.

Например, остаться человеком или продолжить защищать зло. И этот выбор – всегда за каждым. I thank you.