On 20 February 2014, Russia launched an armed aggression against Ukraine by
occupying the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. This
aggression now continues in the Donbas.
Since the beginning of the aggression over 2600 Ukrainian servicemen have
been killed and more than 9000 wounded. Only in the 2 months of 2016 Ukrainian
positions have been shelled over 2500 times, leaving 12 Ukrainian servicemen
killed and more than 150 wounded.
During these years of aggression, a 40 000-strong army has been built up in
the Donbas financed, equipped and maintained by Russia and commanded by Russian
officers. This army has been supplied with sophisticated modern Russian
weaponry: heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems as BM-21 Grad,
Tornado and TOS-1 Buratino, surveillance and secure communication devices
(electronic warfare complexes Rtut-BM, Shipovnik-Aero, Leer-2, 1RL257
Krasukha-4), air defense systems Buk (SA-11 Gadfly), Strela (SA-13 Gopher),
Pantzyr (SA-22 Greyhound). Now it has near 470 tanks, 870 armored combat
vehicles, 450 artillery systems, 190 MLRS. Russia has been also using such
prohibited weapons as cluster warheads (9M55K, 9N235) and anti-personnel mines
(PMN-2, MON-50).
Ukraine has been consistently implementing its commitments under the Minsk
agreements on security, political, humanitarian and social-economic tracks. It
ceased the fire; guaranteed full access of the SMM monitors; presented a
concept on modalities of local elections in the certain areas of the Donbas
based on the Minsk agreements, international standards and Ukrainian
legislation; made an important step towards political settlement, adopting the
draft law on amending the Constitution in the first reading.
The Ukrainian government continues delivering natural gas and electricity
to militants-controlled areas, allocates pensions and other social benefits to
Ukrainian citizens in the occupied territories of Donbas. Under constant
shelling, Ukrainian teams are repairing infrastructure, gas, water, and power
lines to secure needs of civilian population.
Russia has fulfilled none of its obligations under the Minsk Agreements.
Russia and its proxies continue military provocations, including by using
the weapons that should have been withdrawn under the OSCE monitoring and
verification – multiple launch rocket systems, self-propelled artillery, 82mm and
120mm mortars. Russian troops in Donbas continue with unfettered rotation,
training and supply through the uncontrolled sections of the state border.
Thus far, the OSCE SMM has not been provided with full, secure and
unhindered access to all territories controlled by Russia and its proxies. No
progress has been achieved on OSCE access to the border and on establishing the
security zone, as envisaged by the Minsk agreements, to stop and prevent the
massive inflow of weapons and troops to Ukraine.
Russia and its proxies continuously obstruct releasing more than 130
Ukrainian hostages, while subjecting them to inhuman treatment and tortures and
threatening the hostages with capital punishment based on the USSR criminal
code.
Russia continues political persecutions of Ukrainian citizens and refuses
to release Ukrainian political prisoners Savchenko, Sentsov, Kolchenko and
others, illegally detained in Russia.
Russia and the militants are blocking delivery of Ukrainian and
international humanitarian aid to the civil population and systemically impede
activities of the international humanitarian organizations, including the ICRC.
Ukraine urges all UN member states to demand from the Russian Federation to
fulfill all its commitments under the UN Charter and international law, to
implement the Minsk agreements in full and in good faith and to stop
immediately all acts of aggression against Ukraine.
We call on the international community to exert maximum pressure on Russia
and maintain sanctions until Donbas and Crimea are de-occupied and the
territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine is restored.
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