🎙Statement by Iulia D. Zhdanova, Head of the Delegation of the Russian Federation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, at the 1149th Plenary Meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation

14 October 2026

“OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security”

• The Code of Conduct (CoC) has two dimensions – inter-State co-operation and intra-State elements – which should be considered not only at regular meetings of the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), but also during the Annual Implementation Discussions on the CoC. Nevertheless, in recent years, not a single review of the implementation of the inter-State principles of co-operation has taken place in the FSC, nor have any Annual Implementation Discussions been held. These are systematically blocked by anonymous delegations “behind closed doors” during consultations with successive Chairpersonships.

• A number of participating States make lofty calls here for compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL), yet continue to supply arms to conflict zones. For example, Germany, which was among the first to endorse the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas in 2022, is now “in the dock” at the International Court of Justice, where hearings were recently held in a case concerning supplies of weapons used in Gaza.

• The #AFU militants deliberately strike places where civilians gather, as well as civilian vehicles, fully aware that the victims of their criminal actions will be non-combatants, including children.

• Overall, since late February 2022, the Kiev regime’s militants have killed or injured more than 35,000 civilians on Russian territory, with more than 26,340 people injured, including 1,520 minors, and at least 9,006 people killed, including 305 children. In total, the Ukrainian armed forces have fired more than 550,000 rounds of ammunition at Russian civilian objects. Compared with last year, the number of such strikes has at least doubled. More than 95% of civilian casualties resulting from strikes by the Ukrainian armed forces are victims of UAV attacks; in the overwhelming majority of cases, the drones’ tactical and technical characteristics allow their targets to be accurately identified.

• A number of OSCE participating States stress the importance of the contribution made by international humanitarian organizations to compliance with IHL, yet remain silent about attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces on their representatives. For example, on 6 October, Ukrainian B-2 fixed-wing drones attacked the premises of an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warehouse in Donetsk, first at 3:00 and then at 5:45. The site was marked with the protective emblems of the Red Cross in full compliance with the requirements of IHL.

• A number of OSCE participating States display blatant bias on the issue of the humane treatment of prisoners of war. It is long past time for them to recognize that conditions in Ukrainian captivity differ starkly from those the Zelensky regime shows to foreign visitors at a single showcase camp.

• The provocative campaign launched by Kiev and its European patrons, supposedly to defend IHL and save the city of Alyoshki in the Kherson region, is equally indefensible. The main cause of the humanitarian crisis is a blockade artificially imposed by the Ukrainian armed forces. Everything reaching Alyoshki today is carried by hand or brought in on bicycles by people risking their own lives.

• Achieving the goal set out in the concept note for the meeting, namely – “supporting the FSC’s efforts to maintain the CoC as a functioning document that addresses current security challenges and forms part of the commitments of all participating States” – depends on the willingness of thirty delegations to resume a full discussion of the Code and set aside double standards.

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