Special Permanent Council condemns Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih
10.04.2025 / 12:47 | Aktualizováno: 10.04.2025 / 12:58
In response to the devastating missile strike by the Russian Federation on a residential area in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, which killed at least 19 people — including nine children — the Finnish OSCE Chairpersonship convened a special session of the OSCE Permanent Council on Tuesday, 8 April, at the request of Ukraine. The barbaric attack, which struck a children's playground on a warm spring afternoon, prompted widespread international condemnation and calls for accountability. The meeting opened with a minute of silence in memory of the victims. Over 30 delegations delivered statements during the session, expressing condolences to the families of the victims, unequivocally condemning attacks on civilian infrastructure, and reaffirming their solidarity with Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Ambassador opened the session with a deeply emotional intervention, recounting the personal stories of child victims and placing the attack within the broader context of repeated Russian strikes on civilian targets — including the anniversary of the 2022 missile attack on the Kramatorsk railway station. Czechia, along with over thirty other delegations, expressed strong solidarity with Ukraine, firmly condemned Russia’s deliberate targeting of civilians, and called for accountability for war crimes committed. In the national statement, Ambassador Ivo Šrámek stated: “Firing a missile at a children´s playground – this is not war, this is barbarism”. This latest atrocity demonstrates beyond any doubt who truly seeks peace and who instead is determined to prolong a ruthless war of territorial conquest.“ He also highlighted the systematic violations of children’s rights in the occupied territories, including forced russification.
The special session of the Permanent Council once again underlined the urgent need for continued international attention to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, reaffirmed collective solidarity with Ukraine, and emphasized the importance of sustaining international support.