Head of the MFA of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: “While the world is still responding to Russia's brutal overnight attack on Kyiv, Moscow continues its campaign of terror throughout the day.
Russia has now struck a civilian vessel navigating Ukraine's maritime corridor. The crew included citizens of Syria and India. A Ukrainian maritime pilot was killed, as well as four crew members, eight crew members were evacuated and five still remain missing.
A civilian ship. An international crew. A route serving global food security. Putin saw another target.
This attack leaves no room for illusions. Putin's Russia does not care whom it kills. Ukrainians or citizens of any other nation. For Putin, human life does not matter. Only his criminal objectives do.
In the last wave of attacks, it wasn’t an isolated incident. Just yesterday, Russia attacked another foreign merchant vessel in the Black Sea flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, killing one person and injuring three others. Russia is deliberately turning freedom of navigation into a target of war.
Upon Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi’s instructions, the MFA of Ukraine is already informing the International Maritime Organization and our international partners about Russia's latest attacks on civilian shipping, as well as the governments of the states whose citizens were killed or injured.
During President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent visit to London, I discussed this issue with the IMO leadership and called for the deployment of an international monitoring mission to Ukraine's ports. We expect this mission to begin its work as planned in the fall and help document every act of Russia's maritime terror, paving the way for accountability.
Today Russia also struck the Kharkiv region with missiles, killing at least four people and injuring at least twenty. In Zaporizhzhia, guided aerial bombs killed at least three civilians, injured at least thirty three more.
Every delay in increasing pressure on Moscow costs more innocent lives. Russia must face overwhelming force, crippling sanctions, lower oil revenues, full diplomatic isolation, and justice. Terror must never be allowed to prevail”.