Ukraine – France condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian drone strikes in Ukraine (September 6, 2023)

France condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian drone strikes that targeted the capital city last night and struck the port of Izmail in the Odesa region this morning, leaving one person dead and damaging port and agricultural infrastructure.

Once again, by targeting civilian infrastructure and agricultural facilities in particular, Russia continues to be guilty of war crimes, for which it must be held responsible. In addition, Russia is continuing its cynical blackmail of global food security while simultaneously claiming that it is contributing to it. The methodical destruction of Ukrainian agricultural sites shows, once again, that Russia is doing everything it can to undermine the international community’s efforts to deliver foodstuffs to the most vulnerable countries, which have been hit hard by the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression.

As Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna has repeatedly emphasized, France is maintaining – and will continue to maintain – its support for Ukraine for as long as it takes to help that country ensure its legitimate defense, strengthen its resilience and combat impunity for atrocities committed by Russia. As the Minister has stated, France will continue to denounce these crimes and take action to strengthen global food security, which Russia is using as a political weapon in support of its unjustified and illegal war.