Officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the EU issued statements on Jan. 2 condemning Russia's latest wave of massive aerial attacks against Ukraine.
Russian forces launched multiple large-scale missile strikes against Kyiv and Kharkiv on Jan. 2. President Volodomyr Zelensky told U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that Russia has attacked Ukraine with at least 500 missiles and drones over the past five days.
Josep Borrell, the EU's chief diplomat, condemned the attacks in a post on the social media platform X.
"Russia started the new year by shooting over a hundred missiles and drones at Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities, targeting civilians, destroying residential neighbourhoods and life-supporting infrastructure," Borrell said.
"Russia will be held to account for its war crimes."
OSCE officials Malta Ian Borg and Helga Maria Schmid also denounced the attacks in a Jan. 2 statement.
"Together, we deplore in the strongest possible terms these ongoing attacks and urgently call for an immediate end to the unrelenting violence that does nothing but propagate a vicious cycle of misery and suffering. We call for this war to end now," the statement read.
The attacks Russia launched over the New Year holiday are the largest aerial attacks against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.
U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the attacks in a Dec. 29 statement and urged Congress to unblock military aid to Ukraine.
Alexander Query
