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The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 19 October 2022.

Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak has called on France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, which are among the leaders in providing Ukraine with weapons and military equipment, to step up actions to strengthen our country’s air defense. He said this at a briefing for representatives of the diplomatic corps of these countries in the Office of the President.

Yermak said that every day in Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine, air-raid sirens sound for hours. Russia is carrying out insidious mass attacks on critical infrastructure of Ukraine and the civilian population with the help of missile weapons and kamikaze drones.

“Certainly, given what has been happening in recent days, one of our main priorities is to create protection for our cities, civil infrastructure and create an air shield for Ukraine. And I am very glad that today it is no longer a matter for discussion, but only a matter of time. And this should be done as soon as possible,” the head of the President’s Office said.

Yermak also repeatedly emphasized that for actions during the war against Ukraine, the Russian Federation must be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism with implications.

He expressed hope that the countries represented at the meeting will support the adoption of the PACE resolution, in which the Russian Federation will be called a terrorist regime, at a sitting of the European Parliament on November 21-24.

According to him, Ukraine knows exactly how to win the war.

“Today, Ukraine – with your help and support, for which we are very grateful – but still single-handedly destroyed almost 50% of the potential of NATO’s main threat. And that is why I am convinced that Ukraine’s membership in NATO will strengthen the Alliance,” the head of the President’s Office said.

In addition, Yermak reminded that the International Working Group on Security Guarantees for Ukraine, co-chaired by the head of the Office of the President and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, developed recommendations on security guarantees for Ukraine, which could become the basis of a document called the “Kyiv Security Compact.”

This document was sent to the leadership of Ukraine’s partner states, and the Ukrainian side is waiting for their reaction and comments on the proposals.

“We continue consultations with our partners and believe that the steps to create a special air defense can be the first in the implementation of the program of security guarantees for our country,” the head of the President’s Office said.

The commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, briefed the Western European diplomats on the air attacks that Ukraine suffered in October and the countermeasures by the Ukrainian military using the available forces and means.

Oleschuk and Deputy Head of the Office of the President Roman Mashovets told the participants of the briefing about the needs of the Ukrainian army for even better air and missile defense for the Ukrainian sky.

Diplomatic representatives noted the importance of the provided information and asked clarifying questions in order to provide relevant information to the leadership of their states.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 19 October 2022.

A strategic meeting on security at energy supply facilities chaired by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took place.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko, Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyi, Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Chernyshov, representatives of the State Emergency Service, heads of energy enterprises, executive authorities and local governments.

The participants of the meeting discussed measures to eliminate the consequences if the energy system of Ukraine were disabled.

In addition, urgent issues related to security at critical facilities that ensure the vital activity of cities, towns and villages of Ukraine were considered, as well as the necessary steps to pass the heating season in the conditions of constant shelling of energy supply facilities by the troops of the terrorist country – Russia.

Scenarios of possible consequences and models of population support during possible threats of various degrees of danger were discussed. The participants agreed on the measures if electricity were not available in populated areas.

Separately, they focused on the issue of cooperation with international partners regarding equipment to provide it to all settlements that could be left without electricity.

The President set the task to quickly create mobile power points for the critical infrastructure of cities, towns and villages.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 18 October 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Roman Mashovets held a meeting with the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia led by Director General of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Marge Mardisalu-Kahar and Ambassador of Estonia to Ukraine Kaimo Kuusk.

The Estonian side was informed about the resistance to Russian aggression, in particular about air threats from the Russian Federation, the purpose and consequences of Russian missile terrorism, the ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to protect the Ukrainian skies and the needs for its development, as well as possible threats from Belarus, where the Russian-Belarusian “regional grouping of troops” is being formed.

Roman Mashovets expressed gratitude to Estonia for the security, material and technical assistance provided to Ukraine, which is one of the largest given the capabilities of Tallinn. The needs of air defense of Ukraine, which this country can satisfy, were conveyed to the Estonian side.

For her part, Marge Mardisalu-Kahar informed that last week the Estonian government approved the decision to allocate the next, eighth package of security aid to Ukraine, the delivery of which has already begun.

The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia assured of further comprehensive support for our country at the bilateral and international levels, primarily within the European Union and NATO.

“You are fighting for something bigger – for our shared democratic values,” Marge Mardisalu-Kahar emphasized.

She also informed of the decision approved today by the Estonian Parliament to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The interlocutors discussed joint actions on issues of international support for Ukraine, as well as further isolation of Russia as an aggressor and international terrorist.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 18 October 2022.

The shocking scale of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocidal crimes committed by the Russian Federation against Ukrainian prisoners of war require at least a clear position and determination from all organizations that take care of compliance with the norms and requirements of international humanitarian law. This was stated by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak based on the results of the Ukrainian delegation’s trip to the touch line in the Zaporizhzhia region, which was not attended by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Last week, during a video call with President of the Red Cross Mirjana Egger, Andriy Yermak called on representatives of the ICRC to visit the touch line together with the Ukrainian delegation and demand that the organization’s mission be allowed into the temporarily occupied territory to check the condition of Ukrainian prisoners in Olenivka.

On Monday, Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Lubinets, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Daria Zarivna and people’s deputies Maria Mezentseva, Yehor Cherniev, Denys Maslov and Olena Khomenko arrived at the touch line in the Zaporizhzhia region on Monday. However, as Daria Zarivna reported at a briefing in Zaporizhzhia, ICRC representatives did not join the Ukrainian delegation on this trip.

“As Andriy Yermak said in this regard, war is a test for both people and international organizations. Unfortunately, the Red Cross not only tolerates Russian violations of all norms of international law, but also does it silently,” she emphasized, quoting the Head of the President’s Office.

Dmytro Lubinets noted that representatives of the ICRC, despite their commitments, have not yet visited the colony in Olenivka, where, in particular, defenders of “Azovstal” are kept.

“Unfortunately, during every exchange, we see that the inaction of the ICRC has led to the fact that our prisoners of war and civilian hostages are tortured daily with hunger, electricity, because the Russians know that the International Committee of the Red Cross will not come, will not demand access to the places of detention of prisoners of war and civilians, and that in general it demonstrates inaction,” the ombudsman said.

He stated that the ICRC does not fulfill its mandate, which provides for the visit to military and civilian hostages both in the temporarily occupied territories and in the territory of the Russian Federation, justifying this by the lack of permission from the Russian side.

In this context, Andriy Yermak emphasized: “Ukraine expects and demands from the International Committee of the Red Cross due determination in obtaining access to Ukrainian prisoners in Olenivka. After all, the organization was created precisely for such tasks.”

“We are aware that the main obstacle to the arrival of the ICRC mission to the place of forced detention of Ukrainians in Olenivka is primarily Russia’s destructive and cynical position. At the same time, unfortunately, we do not see that the ICRC is working to protect our prisoners. Ukrainian society does not see this. Relatives of the defenders do not see this,” the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine emphasized.

As Andriy Yermak noted, the Ukrainian side has every reason to expect decisive proactive actions by the ICRC in implementing its humanitarian mandate, as well as a clear public position and communication of all its actions aimed at overcoming the most acute humanitarian challenge in Europe.

The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine also called on other international organizations and humanitarian actors to take active steps, as their direct human rights mandate should not allow them to stand aside and passively observe how Russia continues to commit the most brutal crimes of our time.