Ukraine at OSCE: Putin needs some gains before presidential campaign

The relevant statement was made by Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, at the regular meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Russia’s obsession with the war has become the only raison d'être for the Kremlin. Intense battles continue to take place along the entire frontline,” Tsymbaliuk said.

In his words, the hotspots are now Kupiansk, Lyman, Marinka, Avdiivka and Bakhmut, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

“Huge losses of the Russian army near Avdiivka prove that the Russian president needs some gains, regardless of the price, before the announcement of his presidential campaign,” Tsymbaliuk noted.

The Ukrainian envoy also spoke of Russia’s further terror campaign against civilians.

“Since November 29, Russia attacked Ukraine with 21, 20, 25, 11, 12, 23, 17, 48 and 18 Shahed drones respectively. Night by night. This night Russia again attacked port infrastructure in Izmail. Food security remains Russia’s target,” Tsymbaliuk stressed.

He pointed out that Russia continues to create enormous risks of nuclear incidents for the whole region. 

In particular, on November 29, the IAEA team reported hearing several explosions near the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), which is located far from the frontline. A day before, the IAEA reported about several rockets that appeared to have been fired from area close to the Zaporizhzhia NPP. 

“The use of the nuclear power plant as a shield for Russia’s military activities is more than a war crime. It is a crime against humanity,” Tsymbaliuk concluded.

A reminder that Russian troops intensified efforts in the Marinka direction and near the Donetsk region’s Avdiivka. Fierce battles are underway.