Rex Cheung

This morning, the Russians attacked Komyshuvakha with an FPV drone, where emergency rescue operations have been underway for seven days following an aerial bomb strike that killed 55 people. Unfortunately, more people may still be under the rubble. Absolute cynicism and brutality. There was also an overnight attack on the Dnipro region – the Russians struck energy infrastructure, leaving more than 600,000 people in Dnipro and the region without power. In the Kharkiv region, the situation is difficult too. There are widespread power outages across the country. In the Zhytomyr region alone, 140 apartment buildings were left without heating following a Russian strike. Repair work is underway in virtually every affected city and community. I thank the energy workers, utility workers, and every repair crew who are literally working 24/7 to restore water, electricity, and heating supplies to people. In total, this past week alone, Russia has launched 115 missiles of various types, nearly 1,900 guided aerial bombs, and more than 3,000 attack drones against our cities and communities. These are combined strikes involving many ballistic missiles. And a significant portion of the missiles were manufactured this year. We constantly provide our partners with information about Russian enterprises involved in ballistic missile production. In October, Ukraine imposed major sanctions packages on the individuals and legal entities involved. It is very important that they be synchronized across Europe and G7 jurisdictions. If the world does not have enough anti-ballistic capabilities to protect Ukrainian skies, then the missiles must be stopped on the production lines. We count on a strong 22nd EU sanctions package. Thank you to all partners who are truly helping.

Russia is preparing for trilateral talks by launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Repair and rescue operations are underway in the affected regions wherever the security situation allows. In total, the Russians used 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles, with all the missiles aimed at Kyiv and the surrounding region. Energy infrastructure was once again the main target. The capital is facing serious difficulties with its electricity, water, and heat supplies. Residential buildings and the Northern Bridge were damaged. A kindergarten was partially destroyed. In the Kyiv region, a substation connecting the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plants to Kyiv and Ukraine’s central regions was hit. Substations were also damaged in the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv, and Dnipro regions. In addition to Kyiv, twelve other regions came under attack. Nine people were injured, including one child. I thank all our people who defend the country against this terror every day, work to restore what has been damaged, and do everything they can to get Ukraine through the winter. But when Russia is trying to plunge Kyiv – a city of millions – and the entire country into a blackout, Ukraine must not be left alone. We are counting on increased bilateral support from the United States. We are counting on the U.S. Congress to give more attention to Ukraine, because Russia keeps increasing the number of its attacks. It is important that support for Ukraine remains among the priorities of U.S. policy. We are counting on both parties to stand united on matters of security, support for Ukraine, condemnation of Russian aggression, and increased sanctions pressure on Putin. America’s resolve and consistency in supporting Ukraine are crucial in bringing peace closer.