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Statement on the recent event in Odessa

Statement by Representative of Slovenia to the UN Security Council Ambassador Samuel Žbogar at the briefing on the Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine

Thank you very much Mr. President,

I also want to thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari and OCHA Director Doughten for their briefings.

Mr. President,

Let me make a couple of points in the name of my delegation:

First: the city of Odessa remains one of the most besieged cities in the war on Ukraine. Russian aerial attacks increased dramatically since July last year, after Russia stepped away from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

The port city was subject to over a thousand drone and missile attacks since then. These attacks are so regular they have grown into events that are completely overseen by the international community: air raid sirens turn on, drones or missiles appear, infrastructure gets reduced to rouble and civilians buried underneath.  At the end, sites of attacks are covered with flowers, candles and toys. And the vicious cycle repeats itself the next day.

So this has to stop. We cannot allow this to become the ordinary life for the inhabitants of Ukrainian cities, such as Odessa. We cannot forget blatant violations of international law; we cannot tolerate indiscriminate use of high-explosive weaponry in densely populated areas.

Second: Last Wednesday we have witnessed another low point of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. In Odessa, a Russian missile landed couple hundred meters away from leaders of two sovereign nations.

While we are relieved that no harm was done to them, civilians died in the strike. We are appalled by this and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.

This represents another episode in this unnecessary war, where explosive weaponry is used indiscriminately in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. The Security Council needs to start fulfilling its primary responsibility and ensure prompt and effective action in order to bring back peace and security to Ukraine and the wider region.

Thank you.

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