PRESS RELEASE : Russia is inflicting hardship and suffering on Ukrainian people in territories it claims to have “liberated” – UK statement to the OSCE [February 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 February 2024.

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown condemns reports of the declining humanitarian situation in the Ukrainian territories temporarily under Russian control and Russia’s attempts to erase Ukrainian identity.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Firstly, I would like to thank you and your team for convening last week’s Special Permanent Council.  We heard 22 statements condemning Russia’s heinous attacks and underscoring our unwavering support for Ukraine. We must, and will, continue to hold Russia to account for failing to uphold the OSCE’s founding principles and abide by international humanitarian and human rights law.

The humanitarian situation in the regions of Ukraine temporarily under Russian control is deeply concerning. Millions of people live in these areas where access for humanitarian organisations has been mostly impossible. Reports suggest civilians are struggling to access water, food, shelter and other essential services. Russia has repeatedly ignored calls to allow humanitarians safe access to these areas. Russia claims to have “liberated” these territories. Instead, it has brought hardship and suffering. There are reports that Russia has carried out enforced disappearances, summary executions of civilians, and unlawful detention and torture, especially targeting civil servants, pro-Ukraine activists and journalists, and other civilians presumed to oppose the occupation.

We condemn Russia’s decision to hold Russian presidential elections in Ukraine this year, further violating Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia will not succeed in legitimising its attempted illegal annexation in this way. As the UN General Assembly made overwhelmingly clear in October 2022, these regions are and always will be Ukrainian.

Russia’s despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine’s future, is unfortunately not limited to changes on a map. Ukrainian children have been targeted by Russia’s appalling forced deportation strategy.

We are seriously concerned by reports that over 19,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia or temporarily controlled Russian territory since Russia launched its full-scale invasion; that fewer than 400 have so far been returned to Ukraine; and that a senior Russian politician has even illegally adopted a Ukrainian child.

Under a new Russian citizenship law passed in January, Russian authorities claim they can confer Russian citizenship upon vulnerable Ukrainian children deported to Russia. We call upon Russia to cease these deportations immediately. We condemn these actions, and are determined to hold to account those responsible for forcibly deporting and attempting to indoctrinate Ukrainian children.

The UK is pleased to be joining the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children tomorrow. We welcome its establishment and fully endorse the joint Declaration. This is an important step towards a global coordinated effort to return Ukrainian children to their homeland, and an initiative the UK fully supports.

In closing, Madam Chair, we have raised the case of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a dual British-Russian national imprisoned in Russia, on several occasions in this Forum. While we welcome the news that he has been located following a prison transfer, he should not be in prison at all. He is in prison for engaging in legitimate criticism of the political situation: for speaking out against the war in Ukraine and against Putin’s regime. We reiterate our call for his immediate and unconditional release. And, as we raised last week, we remain concerned at Russia’s continued detention of our three OSCE colleagues of the Special Monitoring Mission. The UK again calls for their immediate release, along with all Ukrainians currently victims of arbitrary detention.

The United Kingdom will stand with Ukraine today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes. Thank you, Madam Chair.