Mr Chair,
Norway is deeply alarmed by Russian attacks on humanitarian workers, humanitarian infrastructure and civilians in Ukraine. Two weeks ago, the Ukrainian Red Cross’s main warehouse in Kyiv was destroyed in a Russian strike, and on 24 June two deminers from Norwegian People’s Aid were killed in Kherson.
These incidents form part of a broader pattern of attacks on civilian infrastructure and humanitarian operations across Ukraine, aimed at terrorizing civilians, disrupting humanitarian operations and undermining Ukraine’s resilience.
Humanitarian personnel and civilians are protected under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, and must never be targeted in armed conflict. Norway condemns these attacks in the strongest terms.
Norway is deeply concerned by the findings of the latest Moscow Mechanism report, presented at last week’s Permanent Council. The report highlights the harsh realities faced by Ukrainian children living under Russia’s temporary occupation, as well as those unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred by the Russian Federation. The Mission concluded that “the best interests of the child were disregarded in every dimension of Russia’s policy”.
Taken together, these incidents and reports paint a deeply troubling picture of documented and systematic violations affecting Ukraine’s civilian population, including its most vulnerable members – its children.
Chair,
Russia continues to violate international law and undermine the core principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act. Norway remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine and will continue to hold Russia accountable for its actions. We also reiterate our call for the immediate release of the three OSCE officials Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov.
Thank you.