OSCE officials condemn Russia’s aggression after visiting missile strike site in Kyiv

Espreso correspondent Diana Poliova reported the information.

Finland’s OSCE ambassador, Vesa Häkkinen, emphasized the importance of international solidarity with Ukraine during the visit, stating that they worked every day in Vienna to support Ukraine and that it was now the time to come to Kyiv to visibly demonstrate that support and solidarity.

Häkkinen emphasized that visiting the destroyed residential building had helped him better understand the realities of life for Ukrainians during the war. He noted that visiting civilian sites destroyed by Russia reinforced their strong condemnation of such actions, which they also expressed in Vienna, but witnessing the destruction firsthand made it clearer how Ukrainians lived every day. 

The ambassador also expressed his gratitude to Ukrainian rescuers for their professional work at the site of the tragedy.

Häkkinen said that the OSCE not only expresses political support but also implements practical initiatives in Ukraine.

He added that they are focused on investigating facts and gathering evidence about the war and atrocities caused by Russia in Ukraine. They have eyewitness reports and are collecting materials, while also working on specific projects like support programs for Ukraine.

According to Häkkinen, some of these projects focus on supporting Ukraine during wartime, while others aim to assist with the country’s European integration efforts.

This year, the OSCE under the Finnish chairmanship is paying special attention to the issue of deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia. At the same time, Häkkinen acknowledged the limited influence of international organizations when Russia deliberately chooses the path of aggression.

The ambassador summarized that the OSCE is based on political commitments and principles, but if a country, referring to Russia, decides to start a war, no organization, including the OSCE or the United Nations, can stop them. They can only condemn the actions, face the consequences, and try to take a different path. It’s very difficult if a country is determined to wage war, but despite this, efforts to prevent it never cease.

Yuriy Vitrenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the OSCE, in turn, answered the question of how the OSCE can facilitate the process of establishing a special tribunal to bring Russia to justice and transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.

According to him, this can take place in several formats: diplomatically, assistance from member states to launch the tribunal as soon as possible, as well as documenting and collecting evidence of Russian crimes, which, according to Vitrenko, is one of the OSCE's strongest points.

"Documentation takes place in many ways, in particular, the so-called Moscow mechanism, which we plan to activate again at the end of July, regarding Russia's illegal treatment of our prisoners of war. The Moscow Mechanism was activated by the OSCE in 2023 regarding the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. Perhaps the OSCE was the first international organization to systematically raise this issue. The evidence of Russia's crimes documented by the OSCE can be used by Ukraine within the framework of the future tribunal on the crime of aggression," said the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the OSCE.

• In the early hours of June 17, Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and missiles. Strikes were reported in Kyiv, the Kyiv region, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia.