Statement of the MFA of Ukraine on the 1,000 days since the beginning of the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by the Russian federation
For a thousand days now, Ukraine has been resisting the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian federation and has been fighting for its freedom, statehood, territorial integrity and the opportunity to develop freely and build its future.
During this time, we have witnessed the true courage of the defenders of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, the heroism of the defenders of Azovstal, Bakhmut and other cities and towns, the tireless work of volunteers, and the unprecedented readiness of both the Ukrainian military and civilians to defend every piece of Ukrainian land.
At the same time, the whole world was appalled by the horrific crimes committed by the Russian army in Bucha, Yahidne, Irpin, Izyum, Mariupol and other cities, the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians, and the deliberate destruction of residential buildings, schools, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure.
The largest-scale aggressive war on the European continent since the Second World War, unleashed by Russia, has destroyed the international security system.
For a thousand days, impressing the world with its resilience, the Ukrainian people have continued to resist the aggressor with determination for the sake of an independent future free from the coercion of the kremlin dictatorship.
Exercising its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Ukraine has liberated more than half of the territories occupied since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, destroyed hundreds of thousands of Russian army soldiers, tens of thousands of pieces of military equipment, and continues to fight for the liberation of the occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Kherson regions.
Despite the full-scale war, Ukraine is making progress on its path to joining the EU and NATO, implementing important reforms, ensuring macroeconomic stability, and maintaining the unity of society along the way, including all our people abroad. We are working to create the conditions for their return home.
The Russian military invasion is accompanied by massive violations of international law, international humanitarian law and human rights. Russian forces are committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, killing civilians, torturing and executing prisoners of war. Ukrainian civilians live in conditions of constant attacks by guided bombs, missiles and drones of various types of Russian, North Korean and Iranian production.
Russia is waging a hybrid war not only against Ukraine, but also against the entire world, using food, energy and other resources as weapons. Russia is implementing large-scale disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks, trying to manipulate public opinion, spread chaos and divide democratic societies.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the urgency of uniting the efforts of democratic states to counter Russia’s wide range of hybrid tactics.
Russia’s daily terror proves that the current pressure on the aggressor country is not enough. Ukraine needs the ability to strike at military targets throughout the Russian federation. Russia understands only force.
The Russian federation continues deliberate attacks on Ukraine’s energy system. We call on our international partners to help Ukraine strengthen its air shield to protect critical energy facilities, and on international humanitarian organisations to respond to Russia’s criminal actions against civilians.
It is also important to further strengthen sanctions pressure, in particular on key sectors of the Russian economy, in order to deprive Russia of the capabilities and resources necessary to produce weapons and military equipment used to continue the war.
Ukraine will never submit to the Russian forces, and the Russian military will be punished for violating international law.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for dictator Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children, which is a war crime. The ICC has also issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army Valery Gerasimov, former Commander of the Russian Long-Range Aviation Sergei Kobylash, and former Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Viktor Sokolov for their involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
We call on the States Parties to the Rome Statute to uphold their obligation to cooperate with the ICC and the need to ensure the arrest of war criminal Vladimir putin and his associates, for whom the ICC has issued arrest warrants.
We also look forward to achieving results in the work on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine to bring Russia’s top political and military leadership to justice for the crime of aggression against Ukraine – a crime that is the root cause of all other international crimes.
The International Court of Justice, in the case of genocide charges under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russia), which Ukraine initiated on the second day after the full-scale invasion, issued the first interim decision in favour of Ukraine, recognising its jurisdiction to hear the case.
In addition, the International Court of Justice issued an Order for the Application of Provisional Measures, which obliges Russia to cease military operations that began on 24 February 2024. Russia continues to violate this legally binding order.
Russian aggression has affected not only Ukraine. Russia’s ongoing nuclear blackmail, the seizure of ZNPP and attacks on critical infrastructure facilities that are essential for the safe operation of Ukrainian NPPs put the entire world at risk.
A thousand days of Russian invasion have led to an aggravation of the food crisis around the world. Indiscriminate attacks on Ukrainian ports, civilian vessels, and the mining of agricultural fields have a negative impact on millions of people far beyond Ukraine’s borders. The world has become a hostage to Russia’s imperialist ambitions, which deliberately uses food as a weapon. Despite Russian terror, Ukraine remains one of the key guarantors of global food security.
The environment has also become a victim of the war. Air emissions, land and river pollution, irreparable damage to biodiversity, and the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant are just a few of the many examples of the environmental impact of aggression. The toxic legacy of Russia’s criminal actions is felt far beyond the borders of our country. That is why the issue of environmental safety is among the important priorities that the Ukrainian side is working on as part of the implementation of the Peace Formula, in particular to strengthen the existing environmental protection mechanisms in the context of war.
We are grateful to our partners for all the defence, financial, economic and humanitarian assistance they have provided. We call for continued and increased support. Restoring global stability and common security is impossible without restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
We call on our partners to increase assistance to Ukraine, including strengthening the air shield to protect critical energy facilities; to actively participate in the restoration and reconstruction of our country; to respond more actively to the kremlin’s actions that threaten the functioning of Ukrainian nuclear energy facilities; to condemn and investigate Russian crimes against Ukrainian civilians; and to refute fakes that Russia uses to whitewash its war crimes.
The Russian federation does not demonstrate readiness to end the war. Instead, it is stepping up its cooperation with Iran and the DPRK. Tehran is providing the Russian federation with drones and other support, while the DPRK has actually entered the war on Russia’s side, sending military contingent to participate in hostilities against Ukraine in addition to the artillery shells and missiles it had previously provided.
The deepening interaction of these three regimes demonstrates that Russian aggression against Ukraine is a global threat that destabilises Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It requires a global response.
The President of Ukraine has proposed a Victory Plan, the implementation of which will force the Russian federation to stop its aggression and achieve a just peace. We call on our partners to support our struggle, to contribute to the implementation of the Victory Plan and to achieve a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace for Ukraine, Europe and the entire world.
We call on our international partners to unite around the implementation of the Peace Formula, which is the only comprehensive vision for ending the war and establishing a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace. We need peace through strength, not appeasement.
