Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Geall le ceithre bliana ó shin, rinne Vladimir Putin agus an Rúis ionsaí uafásach ar an Úcráin, agus is é "uafásach" an focal ceart agus cuí le n-úsáid. Ina dhiaidh sin, lean an choimhlint agus cogadh is mó san Eoraip le 80 bliain anuas, agus go leor teifigh ag teacht as sin. Deirim arís gur ionsaí ar chearta agus ar saoirse muintir na hÚcráine, agus ar chearta na hÚcráine mar Stáit agus mar náisiúin, a bhí anseo. Léiriú ab ea é ar an tuairim atá ag Rialtas na Rúise gurb é cumhacht an rud céanna le ceart, agus gur féidir le cumhacht míleata lámh in uachtar a bheith aige ar dhaonnacht.

Nearly four years ago, Vladimir Putin's Russia launched a brutal war of aggression against its neighbour, Ukraine. "Brutal" is truly the word to use. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the largest land conflict and greatest displacement of people on the European Continent in 80 years. I reiterate that Russia's attack on and bombardment of the Ukrainian people is an attack on sovereignty, peace and the right of a nation to be sovereign, independent and free. It is a vicious and violent expression of the dead-end belief that might is right and that military power can dominate humanity.

I first want to touch on the issue of the huge number of civilian casualties in this conflict, which remains considerably high and perhaps does not get the attention that it ought to. I reference the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, which highlights that civilian casualties in October 2025 remain high, with at least 148 killed and 929 injured, similar to the numbers in September and August. Most deaths and injuries, at about 65%, occurred near the front line. As in the previous month, the vast majority of civilian casualties, 97%, occurred in areas under the control of the government of Ukraine. October saw emergency power cuts across multiple regions of Ukraine, driven by the Russian Federation’s continued region-specific attacks and renewed large-scale strikes on energy and infrastructure. A considerable part of its strategy has been attacking civilian infrastructure, including energy and water, and the obvious impact that has on the quality of life, living conditions and humanitarian situation of the people of Ukraine.

Total civilian casualties from January to October 2025 are 27% higher than during the same period last year and the number of casualties for the first ten months of 2025 has already exceeded the total for all of 2024. These are shocking figures. It is extremely concerning and it points to an escalation of the situation of the sheer scale of civilian harm we are seeing in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the situation is only getting worse. We must remember that behind all those figures are real men, women and children whose lives have been shattered, destroyed and turned upside-down. Tá pobal iomlán tar éis dul tríd rudaí uafásacha. Tá go leor daoine tar éis baill teaghlaigh a chailliúint, idir deartháireacha, iníonacha, uncailí, cairde, pé rud é. Is dócha go mbeidh an fhulaingt sin ann fós i ndiaidh deireadh an chogaidh, pé uair a tharlaíonn sé.

I am reminded of the horrific scenes we watched on our television screens in February 2022 when this brutal war began. I remember the gut-wrenching feeling as we watched, appalled, as families, women and children, walked through the cold for hours, climbed on and off packed trains and trucks, forced to flee for their lives, uncertain what their future held. The people of Ireland showed great solidarity and their hearts went out to everyone affected.

Since then, as we know, millions of Ukrainian people have been forced to leave their homeland. I acknowledge the people in Ireland who have done what they can to support the Ukrainian people who arrived here. In spite of this and the situation that is faced by the people of Ukraine, ordinary civilians in Ukraine have persevered, shown immense courage and resilience, continued their everyday lives and kept their country going despite the severe challenges and brutality that they have faced.

They are faced with incredible challenges and attacks that greatly impact their ability to do the basic things, such as provide education, healthcare, heating and water distribution, and just get on with day-to-day living.

There is no doubt that the Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin himself significantly underestimated Ukraine and the resolve of its people, which has been clearly demonstrated since the war broke out in February 2022. Since then, the attacks have only become fiercer and more cynical. Ukraine's energy infrastructure has come under severe attack. There have been numerous large-scale, co-ordinated attacks over the course of this conflict, which has created a serious electricity deficit and difficulties for ordinary people. There is a particular danger in relation to attacks on the nuclear facilities at Zaporizhzhia and Chernobyl. There is no question that what we have seen in locations such as Bucha, Mariupol and elsewhere has been barbarism on the part of the Russian Federation. There have been completely unacceptable and despicable attacks on the Ukrainian people.

Russia's war also extends beyond the destruction of civilian and critical infrastructure and murder. It affects the lives of countless Ukrainian families through the reported forcible deportation of children. I pay tribute to the work done by the Ukrainian ambassador in recent years in articulating, with great force, passion and clarity, the situation of Ukrainian people at home and in Ireland. At the foreign affairs committee recently, she outlined the horrific situation of the forcible abduction of children. Thousands of children have been illegally transferred and, in some instances, adopted or conscripted into the Russian military from Ukraine. On that occasion, the ambassador told the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade:

Their identities are falsified, their ties to Ukraine severed and their futures put in jeopardy. These actions amount to a systematic and unprecedented genocide, targeting the very future of the Ukrainian people. Russia attacks the very essence of childhood itself to erase Ukrainian identity. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, a landmark move underscoring the moral and legal gravity of these crimes. ... Those who have adopted and hidden Ukrainian children under false pretences must also be held accountable.

We have heard that the confirmed number is over 20,000 but the real figure could be multiples of this for children who were abducted and forcibly displaced to Russia. It is heartbreaking to hear the reports of parents who have lost their children, who were taken under the pretext of summer camps in the occupied territories and moved deeper into regions of Russia where their parents cannot find them. I am not sure this gets the attention that it ought to in this country. It is a crime that is difficult to comprehend. It simply does not bear thinking about.

The Irish people have been clear on whose side they stand. For 45 months, the courageous people of Ukraine have stood against the Russian onslaught and the brutal invasion. We hope peace may be delivered, although when and on what terms we do not know. On that day, there will be a need to support the Ukrainian people in rebuilding their country. Unfortunately, it is clear that Russia is not interested in peace at this moment in time. The Irish people have supported the Ukrainian people in the wake of this invasion. I reiterate Sinn Féin's solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Táimid soiléir gur sáraíodh an dlí idirnáisiúnta ar an gceist seo. We are clear that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a blatant breach of international law. It is full-scale aggression that has been defined by the potential war crimes committed by the Russian military against innocent people. We call for a co-ordinated and concerted effort by the international community to secure an end to the hostilities and bring about peace. However, that peace needs to be on the basis of a just settlement for the people of Ukraine that respects Ukraine's rights. Ireland must use its voice to the greatest extent possible to achieve and support such an end.

Ireland remains a militarily neutral country but that does not mean we are politically neutral. We are clear that this is a war of aggression and that the Russian Federation is the aggressor. It is clear that, at this time, the Russian Federation is paying mere lip service, if even that, to peace negotiations. In my view, it is incumbent on the international community to leverage greater pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table and deliver a potential peace, but a peace that respects the rights of the people of Ukraine.

To conclude, it has been nearly four years since the commencement of the brutal war in Ukraine. When we have had statements to mark the anniversary of the war, we have all hoped not to have to mark another year. Unfortunately, that is the case, and the people of Ukraine have been let down in that regard. We must do whatever we can at the Irish level to use our voice internationally for peace and to show solidarity with Ukraine. We must ensure that if peace comes, it respects the rights of the people of Ukraine and their territorial integrity.

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