- The European Union strongly condemns the Russian Federation’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. We denounce the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, which has caused immense suffering and destruction. We remind Russia that intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate attacks, constitute gross violations of international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes.
- The past weekend, Russia again launched an intense wave of attacks, deploying over 500 drones and 50 missiles across multiple Ukrainian regions. According to Ukrainian authorities, at least five civilians were killed and dozens injured as residential buildings, hospitals, energy facilities and transport infrastructure were struck in nine regions, including Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy. A drone-missile strike in Lviv destroyed a residential building, killing a family of four, while thousands were left without electricity. In Sumy, drones hit the Shostka railway station, killing one person and injuring more than thirty others, with reports indicating that a second-strike targeted rescuers and evacuees. Russian drones hit also Sumy Maternity Hospital on 6 October. We strongly condemn all these brutal attacks against civilians, and we express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We further condemn attacks against civilian objects, including energy infrastructure, aimed at crippling Ukraine’s energy resilience ahead of the winter season.
- Among the latest civilian victims was also the French photojournalist Antoni Lallican, killed in the Donbass by a Russian drone, despite wearing press markings, while Ukrainian journalist Heorgiy Ivanchenko was reported wounded in the same attack. This is a tragic reminder of the risks faced by journalists and media actors while reporting on the war. We condemn those deliberated attacks against journalists who should be protected under international humanitarian law, as reminded by the Representative on Freedom of the Media on 4 October.
- The EU calls on Russia to immediately end its war of aggression, withdraw all its forces from Ukraine, and commit to a full, unconditional and comprehensive ceasefire as a basis for genuine peace negotiations. Ukraine exercises its inherent right to self-defence in full accordance with international law and as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. In coordination with like-minded partners and allies, we will continue to provide multifaceted support, including political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people.
- The EU remains determined to ensure full accountability for war crimes and other serious violations committed in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
- We welcome the recent exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia, which resulted in the release of 185 Ukrainian service members and 20 civilians previously held by Moscow. We remain deeply concerned about the treatment of the prisoners of war. The recent report under the Moscow Mechanism shows a deeply alarming picture of the Russian Federation’s engagement in widespread and systematic violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law in its treatment of Ukrainian POWs. We reiterate our demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of war and civilians arbitrarily detained in Russia, including the three OSCE officials, Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov, as well as for the safe and prompt return of all forcibly transferred and deported Ukrainian children.
- We condemn Russia’s ongoing attempts to illegally integrate or annex parts of Ukraine’s territory, in blatant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, as well as OSCE core principles and commitments. Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea are — and will remain — Ukraine. All states have an obligation under international law not to recognise such annexations.
- We also denounce the repeated violations of the airspace of EU Member States by Russia, which represent a serious escalation and further undermines regional security.
- The European Union and its Member States will continue to work, together with international partners, for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on international law. The path to peace cannot be laid out without Ukraine, nor can decisions affecting the security of Europe be taken without Europe’s participation. Meaningful negotiations require a full, unconditional and comprehensive ceasefire. We reiterate that any credible approach to achieving peace must necessarily include concrete humanitarian measures. The EU and its Member States are ready to contribute to security guarantees, underlining that Ukraine must be able to defend itself, cooperate with third countries, and freely pursue its path to the EU and NATO.
- We will raise the cost for Moscow further by ramping up sanctions significantly on Russia and its enablers. We will also work with our international partners to put pressure on Russia to end this war.
- We condemn the continued support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine provided by third countries, such as the DPRK, Belarus, Iran, and actors and entities therein. We urge all countries to cease all assistance, including the provision of dual-use goods and sensitive items that sustain Russia’s military industrial base. In this vein, and as stated by the G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative, China is also a decisive enabler of Russia’s war.