Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)

I am grateful to Deputies O'Meara and Lahart for raising this very timely issue. Ireland condemns Russia’s escalation of large-scale aerial attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. In recent weeks, Russia has launched thousands of drone and missile attacks into Ukraine, some of which have been the largest aerial attacks since the start of the war, resulting in high numbers of civilian casualties and large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure. According to President Zelenskyy, on Thursday, 16 October, Russia launched more than 300 drones and 37 missiles to target infrastructure across Ukraine. The President commented that this autumn, the Russians have been using every single day and night to strike at Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The targeting of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is especially cruel ahead of winter, when temperatures often drop below minus 10°C. The deprivation of heat, light, electricity and water are attacks on Ukrainian civilians. We have made the point multiple times that the attacks on energy infrastructure and the utilisation of food as a tool of war are, of course, war crimes. Moreover, Ireland strongly condemns the repeated violations of EU airspace and other hybrid attacks by Russia. These actions constitute a reckless and unprecedented threat to regional security. In response, the Tánaiste directed his officials to make our condemnation clear to the Russian chargé in Dublin. These actions demonstrate yet again that Russia is intent on escalating rather than de-escalating its war of aggression.

For our part, we are working closely with our EU partners to secure the best outcome for Ukraine and for Europe. This topic featured heavily at the Foreign Affairs Council this week and will feature heavily at the European Council later this week. Ireland reiterates its commitment to support all efforts to hold Russia accountable, including for the forcible transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children, and the need to maintain pressure on Russia by quickly reaching agreement on the 19th sanctions package.

The ongoing escalation in Russian attacks also highlights the critical importance of ensuring that Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself. In March, the Tánaiste announced the allocation of €100 million in non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine, the majority of which will be used to fund non-lethal elements of air defence.

See this speech in context