UK Statement on OSCE Moscow Mechanism Report – July 2026 Insights

Thank you, Mr Chair.

My appreciation extends to Professors Wolff and Ascencio, as well as to Doctor Steinerte. The report you have presented is both comprehensive and authoritative, detailing the manner in which Russia implements a systematic programme of indoctrination and militarisation targeting Ukrainian children in the occupied territories. This strategy is enforced through an extensive network of coercive practices. The report highlights how indoctrination permeates every aspect of the educational system in these regions, while militarisation reaches beyond the confines of the classroom, manifesting through state-sponsored military-patriotic youth organisations and re-education camps.

Moreover, your findings indicate that Russia has committed extensive violations of International Humanitarian Law and is accountable for numerous, overlapping breaches of International Human Rights Law.

These revelations are profoundly alarming, and we urge Russia to fully implement the recommendations outlined in your report.

Emphasising Dialogue and Cooperation

Mr Chair, the principles of dialogue and cooperation should remain central to the mission of this organisation. Indeed, OSCE leaders established the Moscow Mechanism to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms through constructive dialogue and collaboration. This mechanism has been invoked six times since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Each occasion has seen Ukraine open its borders to expert evaluations, ensuring access across relevant governmental ministries and agencies, while facilitating contact with independent civil society representatives.

In stark contrast, Russia has consistently refrained from engaging in any of these invocations of the Moscow Mechanism.

Given Russia’s continued refusal to cooperate with this OSCE Human Dimension Mechanism, I wish to utilise my time in this Council to pose several pertinent questions to the Russian Federation.

Urgent Inquiries for the Russian Federation

When will Russia put an end to its widespread and systematic efforts to enforce loyalty among Ukrainian children through militarisation, indoctrination, and coercive tactics?

When can we expect Russia to provide a complete count and detailed list of unaccompanied children who have been forcibly transferred from Ukraine to the Russian Federation or within the temporarily occupied territories since 24 February 2022?

When will Russia take action to release Ukrainian civilians, such as Ivan Zabavskyi? Ivan and others in similar circumstances are unjustly imprisoned in Russian facilities, often enduring months of incommunicado detention and mistreatment, as highlighted in the Moscow Mechanism report of April 2024.

Finally, when will Russia release the three detained OSCE staff members – Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov, and Dmytro Shabanov – who have been unjustly held since 2022?

This is not the first occasion on which these questions have been directed towards the Russian Federation. A refusal by Russia to respond to these inquiries, Mr Chair, would convey significant implications regarding their professed commitment to dialogue and adherence to OSCE principles and obligations.