UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Russia’s
illegal invasion of Ukraine is a tragedy for Ukrainians but an
unmitigated disaster for Russia.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Once again, Ukrainian civilians have paid
the price for Russia’s illegal war of aggression on its sovereign
neighbour. In the town of Izium, in Kharkiv Oblast, Russian
missiles struck a fire station, injuring eight personnel. It is a
feature of the depravity of the Russian campaign that Russia
continues to cause damage to targets, such as ‘first-responders’,
whose very role it is to preserve life.
On 26 October, Russian one-way-attack UAVs struck near
Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant, 280km west of Kyiv. 20 people
were reported injured by falling debris in a town nearby, windows
at the plant were shattered and power was temporarily cut to
off-site radiation monitoring stations. The attack also downed
power lines near the facility. Thankfully the International
Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the plant’s operation
continued to be unaffected. Alongside the unacceptable military
control of Zaphorizhzhia Power Plant by Russia this acts as
another example of Russian recklessness and the risks this brings
to nuclear safety and security.
No doubt, in a moment, we will hear from the Russian Delegation
in another attempt to draw equivalence with Ukraine. But we
should be in no doubt that there is no equivalence. Russia is the
aggressor. Ukraine did not illegally invade its neighbour; Russia
did. In what has historically been a monologue of disinformation,
Russia may proclaim a new world order; but this is a world order
in which Russia invites the Hamas terrorist group to Moscow,
following Hamas’s brutal murder of over 1400 Israeli citizens; it
is the world order of allying with Iran, the provider of Shahed
one way attack drones which have been used extensively by Russia
to kill Ukrainian civilians and attack critical infrastructure;
and the development of North Korea as Russia’s new strategic arms
partner and provider of military aid. Madam Chair, this is not a
new world order, but a grouping of authoritarian States that have
aligned out of desperate necessity.
Mixing with such regimes mark the depths to which Russia has sunk
in an effort to maintain its military in the field. Russia does
this while it continues to suffer devastating losses both around
the town of Avdiivka and in the campaign more broadly.
Madam Chair, Russia’s horrendous war against Ukraine has now
lasted 200 times longer than Russia had predicted it would.
The incredible defence of Ukraine is the result of the tremendous
courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people. It is quite
plausible that Russia will once again try this winter to directly
target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, if it can replenish its
diminished stockpile of long-range cruise missiles. This would be
in keeping with the cynical way in which Russia has chosen to
fight its illegal war to date. And Russia will continue to mask
its myriad military failures to enable this debacle to continue.
Even in this diplomatic Forum, Russia will threaten to destroy
Ukrainian aircraft, whilst at the same time Russia continues to
shoot its own aircraft out the sky; it will talk of military
advances whilst now only having control of half of the Ukrainian
territory it did at the beginning of the campaign; and it may
even show a handful of NATO vehicles on the obligatory slideshow,
never acknowledging that Russia has now lost 5000 tanks in this
calamitous campaign.
Madam Chair, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is a tragedy
for Ukrainians but an unmitigated disaster for Russia. The sooner
Russia recognises its folly and withdraws from internationally
recognised Ukrainian territory, the better. Until that time, the
United Kingdom will continue to support Ukraine, to help it
become ever more capable of defending itself and, assist in the
reconstruction that Russia has necessitated. As for Russia, those
responsible will be held accountable for the destructive and
catastrophic campaign; the longest ‘lightning strike’ in military
history at over 600-days and counting. Ukraine will win this war.
Thank you.
