Ukraine under attack: an overview of the situation

On 24 February 2022, a new war, a full-scale armed conflict in the very heart of Europe, was launched by Russia.

Aggressor state crossed Ukraine’s borders from Russia and Belarus, launched missiles on cities, attacked with aviation, tanks, and artillery, sent subversion and reconnaissance groups.

Shellings and fighting continue along the state border with Russia and Belarus, in Donbas, and along the administrative boundary with the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. Russia simultaneously attacks Ukraine from the East, South, North, and air.

As of 22.30 24 February, the Russian troops fired at our positions 393 times, including 32 civilian objects, destroyed six control posts, attacked Serpent Island in the Black Sea, seized the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station, and a part of southern Kherson region, including the North Crimean Canal.

According to the data by the the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 137 persons were killed and at least 316 persons wounded in Ukraine during the first day of the Russian invasion. Many objects of infrastructure were ruined.

The last time we saw such actions was the Second World War when another totalitarian ruler decided he had the right to re-draw the borders of the sovereign states in Europe and bring death and misery to millions of people only to realize his perverted wishes.

History repeats itself. That is what we know from the schoolbooks. We can not let this happen again—lessons of the past need to be recalled. If the world does not stop Putin, the world will suffer.

Since yesterday, the websites of the governmental institutions of Ukraine have suffered from cyber-attacks.

In response, Ukraine has activated its right to self-defense according to article 51 of the United Nations Charter. We will defend our soil.

The Russian troops suffer losses: aircraft, helicopters, tanks, trucks, personnel.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine gave orders to inflict maximum losses to the aggressor.

Thousands of Ukrainian citizens have already joined the ranks of territorial defense. More is to come in the following days.

On 24 February 2022, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the President’s decision to impose martial law on the entire territory of Ukraine for 30 days to ensure Ukraine’s defense, public safety, and state interests.

Due to this, some constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms may be temporarily restricted (Articles 30-34, 38, 39, 41-44, 53 of the Constitution of Ukraine: the inviolability of dwelling place, the privacy of correspondence, interference in personal life, freedom of movement, freedom of thought and speech, freedom of views and beliefs, elections, peaceful assemblies, right to property, right to entrepreneurial activity, suitable for labor activity, right to strike, right to education). The temporary restrictions on the rights and legitimate interests of legal entities will also be imposed.

Regional, Kyiv city state administrations and local self-government bodies must establish defense councils and assist the military command in introducing and implementing martial law measures.

A curfew was introduced in some Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv.

Ukraine has cut off diplomatic relations with Russia.

We invite our partners to follow our example. We deem it unacceptable to maintain diplomatic relations with the aggressor state, which openly attacks its neighbor without any reason. The international organizations must consider banning Russia’s membership for flagrant violations of international law.

Those expressing support to Russia’s actions in Ukraine we consider aggressors as well.

We count upon the proper reaction by the international community. We are grateful to our partners, which continue to provide additional support in various ways (for instance, almost 1 bln  USD loan by Poland).

We urge the international community to show solidarity with Ukraine by:

• imposing the massive coordinated sanctions against Russia immediately.
• Isolating Russia in all possible international fora.
• Supporting Ukraine with weapons, protective equipment, fuel, and whatever is necessary to counter the biggest army in the continent.
• Providing financial support.

We appreciate sanctions imposed by a number of countries of the world (EU, Australia, Canada, etc), especially the strongest sanctions already imposed by the US and the UK, which will severely undermine Russia’s economic and financial capacities to continue its aggression.

We expect the EU to join the comprehensive bank sanctions and to include SWIFT into the package.

We call on the international organizations to provide us with humanitarian assistance and register all cases of violation of the norms of international and international humanitarian law.

We hope a broad Ukrainian community abroad would join the Government of Ukraine in delivering truth on Russia’s war in Europe.

An attack on Ukraine is an attack on entire Europe. We need to act together and in a coordinated manner.

The Russian population is actively protesting against Putin’s insane decision. Nearly 600 Russian citizens have already been detained for participating in peaceful assemblies throughout Russia.

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