Head of European diplomacy Borrell arrives in Odesa with unannounced visit

"Odesa is a beautiful historic city. It should be in the headlines for its vibrant culture and spirit. Instead, it marks the news as frequent target of Putin’s war. The EU supports the stabilisation of sites impacted by Russia’s barbarically destruction," he said.

Borrell said that he sees the consequences of this war with his own eyes. In particular, the destruction of the Transfiguration Cathedral, in his opinion, illustrates well how Russia is trying to destroy Ukraine.  

"Today, being in your city, I want to remind you that a certain territory of Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, were illegally annexed by Russia. Just like Crimea was earlier," he said.

He stressed that the EU supports Ukraine in its struggle for territorial integrity and independence and promised that the alliance would be with Ukrainians "as long as it takes”.

It should be noted that Borrell's video was recorded inside the Transfiguration Cathedral, which was significantly damaged by a Russian attack on the night of July 23. 

• Earlier, Borrell proposed a €20 billion defence support plan for Ukraine to EU countries. European Union defence ministers met in Toledo to consider long-term financial support for the Ukrainian military.