June 8, 2023
(The following is a joint statement delivered by Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, Permanent Representative of Ukraine, on behalf of Albania, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Japan, Malta, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.)
We express our profound concerns over the reported shelling of Kherson, Ukraine, during the evacuation from the areas, flooded after the destruction of the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.
According to the Kherson local authorities, at least nine people, including police, medical, and rescue personnel, were wounded today in the city as a result of shelling that occurred during the ongoing evacuation operation.
We strongly condemn shellings of evacuation areas and call on the Russian Federation to cease such attacks and allow the evacuation teams to safely help the affected civilian population.
We also urge the Russian Federation to grant full, safe, and unimpeded access to the affected areas on the left bank of the Dnipro River, which are currently under its military control, for humanitarian actors, in particular those from the United Nations and ICRC, to help affected local residents.