Emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine, Friday, 11 July 2025. (source: TASR/AP - Michael Shtekel)
Myroslav Kastran serves as Ukraine’s ambassador to Slovakia.
For over 11 years, my country has been the target of brutal Russian aggression, and since 24 February 2022, it has been engaged in a full-scale war that continues to destroy and claim thousands of Ukrainian lives daily. Ukraine is not only carrying out defensive operations; we are fighting for our very right to exist – for Ukrainian identity, independence, and European values.
Open Russian aggression and rejection of peace
Every day, Russia continues to terrorise Ukraine by bombarding our cities and towns with missiles and drones – and the frequency of these attacks is constantly increasing. Over the past week alone, Russia launched more than 1,800 unmanned aerial vehicles, over 1,200 guided bombs (KABs), and 83 missiles of various types on Ukrainian territory. Just during the night of 8 to 9 July, the enemy targeted Ukraine’s peaceful cities with 728 drones and 13 missiles. For comparison, in the whole of July last year, the aggressor launched approximately 440 aerial attack weapons on Ukrainian towns and cities. This is a deliberate act of terrorism aimed at destroying critical infrastructure and intimidating civilians. These are targeted crimes against humanity – crimes against the Ukrainian nation.
It is clear that Russia has no desire to end this war. All of our efforts – as well as those of our international partners, including US President Donald Trump and his administration – to negotiate real peace at the table have proven fruitless. The reason is simple: Putin’s Russia is not merely delaying the peace process – it does not want peace at all. Its goal is not negotiation but subjugation, the destruction of independent Ukraine, and the gradual conquest of Europe.
Ukraine’s path to a just peace
In contrast to the cynicism of the aggressor, Ukraine seeks a lasting, just, and comprehensive peace. We are not striving for a mere ceasefire, but for peace that guarantees our independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Achieving such a peace with Russia is only possible through military support and the strengthening of Ukraine. This is a bitter truth – but one we must accept: the aggressor understands only the language of force.
We need comprehensive military assistance, primarily including air defence systems to protect our cities and civilians. Only by bolstering our military and defence capacities can we compel Russia to abandon its aggressive plans and come to the negotiating table under fair conditions.
A difficult but necessary step: the Ottawa Treaty
Ukraine is defending its people and territorial integrity by all available means. Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (commonly known as the Ottawa Treaty) is a reluctant but justified step to protect our state. We have repeatedly informed the international community that Russia – which, unlike the civilised world, is not a signatory of the Ottawa Treaty – is extensively using anti-personnel mines as a method of waging aggressive war against Ukraine.
Ukraine finds itself in an unequal and unjust situation. We were restricted in our military response to Russian aggression, contrary to our sovereign right to self-defence as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. We are not the only ones facing this difficult choice. The Baltic states, Finland, and Poland – though not currently at war – fully recognise the threat posed by Russia and have taken steps to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty as swiftly as possible.
Accountability is essential: Special Tribunal and ECHR rulings
Our goal is not only to stop Russian aggression and restore peace but also to hold Russian war criminals accountable and secure reparations.
At the end of last month in Strasbourg, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, signed an agreement to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. Ukraine deeply values this achievement. The Tribunal’s statute clearly states that the president, prime minister, and foreign minister of the aggressor state will bear responsibility – without any personal immunity.
This means they will not escape justice, even after leaving office. We are grateful to Slovakia for supporting the establishment of this Tribunal and look forward to its continued active involvement.
Our efforts are also backed by the unprecedented ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In its 9 July 2025 judgment in the case of Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia, the ECHR found that:
“The nature and scale of violence committed against the Ukrainian population, along with the sinister rhetoric from Russian leadership regarding Ukraine’s statehood and right to exist, pose a threat to peaceful coexistence in Europe and undermine the very foundations of democracy.”
This ruling is the most significant and far-reaching in the ECHR’s 60-year history, and a landmark in international justice:
For the first time, Articles 2 (Right to Life) and 3 (Prohibition of Torture) of the European Convention on Human Rights were found to be violated through the shelling of state territory and civilian populations, including the use of explosive weapons, cluster munitions, and unguided missiles – all aimed at terrorising civilians;
During the sieges of Mariupol, Izium, and Chernihiv, Russian troops acted with total disregard for civilian life and wellbeing, in breach of international humanitarian law;
The Court gave special attention to the unlawful and forced displacement of civilians through so-called “filtration” processes, accompanied by violence and arbitrariness;
Ukrainian soldiers were subjected to executions, sexual violence, torture, inhuman treatment, forced labour, and threats against their families;
The rights of orphans were violated through their cross-border transfer to Russia, a practice that began in 2014 and escalated with the full-scale invasion, and was organised and supported by Russian state authorities;
The shocking practice of “Russification” – aimed at eradicating the Ukrainian language in temporarily occupied territories and ideologically indoctrinating children – aligns with the political goals of the Russian Federation.
The ECHR has issued clear directives that Russia must immediately:
release or safely return all individuals unlawfully detained in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories;
cooperate in the establishment of an international and independent mechanism to promptly identify each child deported from Ukraine to Russia and ensure their safe reunification with their families.
“Bring Kids Back UA” and the International Coalition: a hope for return
The mass deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the gravest and most painful crimes we face. It is estimated that approximately 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain under Russian control, with over 19,500 cases of unlawful deportation officially recorded. As of the end of June 2025, only 1,366 children have been returned, 185 of them this year.
For Ukraine, this is not about statistics – it is about the life of every single child. Thus, the central priorities of our child return initiatives include:
the physical return of unlawfully displaced children;
post-return support and psychosocial wellbeing;
assistance in reunification and reintegration, and the provision of humanitarian, medical, and psychological aid.
At the national level, Ukraine has launched the “Bring Kids Back UA” initiative, which works in cooperation with NGOs and international partners to locate and return children. The aim is not only to return every child but to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. Russia systematically obstructs these efforts by relocating children to remote regions, altering their personal information, denying access to international organisations, and subjecting them to psychological manipulation and forced adoption of Russian identity. Reports suggest that 50,000 Ukrainian children are scheduled for transfer to “re-education camps” in Russia and Belarus this summer.
Significant steps were taken in June 2025:
In Istanbul, Ukraine submitted an initial list of 339 children for return;
The Ukrainian government introduced a one-off payment of 50,000 UAH for each returned child;
The Ukrainian parliament passed legislation criminalising the unlawful relocation and military use of children.
On the international stage, Ukraine and Canada jointly established the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children on 2 February 2024. To date, 41 countries and the Council of Europe have joined, with invitations remaining open. Slovakia has joined the Coalition with observer status.
The Coalition focuses on advocacy and communications, especially by promoting efforts to return children through outreach and public awareness. Given Slovakia’s experience in supporting Ukrainian refugee children, we believe this knowledge can be extended to provide psychological care, therapy, and recreational activities for returned children – essential steps toward their full reintegration.
The return of our children remains a critically important challenge, one that Ukraine and its partners are working to overcome every single day. Each child returned is a testament to our shared resilience and determination to uphold justice.
Sanctions: a crucial tool of pressure
Russia not only refuses to abide by international court rulings, sign peace agreements, or return our people and children – it continues its campaign of terror. That is why we must stress the importance of reinforcing sanctions against Russia. Sanctions work! Their impact on the Russian economy is evident: shortages of high-tech components, limited access to international financial markets, and reduced revenues from energy exports. Every new sanctions package weakens Russia’s ability to fund its aggressive war – bringing us closer to the moment when it will be forced to cease its criminal actions.
Our common goal: a peaceful and secure future
As our neighbour and partner, Slovakia has a vital role to play in our joint effort against the aggressor state – Russia. We urge you to continue supporting Ukraine, not only on its path towards EU membership but also by intensifying sanctions, engaging in all international initiatives aimed at restoring justice, ensuring the return of Ukrainians and our children, and holding perpetrators accountable.
