Foreign Minister Blanar Condemns Russian Attacks on Ukraine's Energy Sites

Bratislava, 24 January (TASR) – Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) condemned Russia's attacks on energy targets in Ukraine and expressed condolences by phone to Ukrainian Ambassador Myroslav Kastran as well as solidarity with Ukrainian civilians, TASR learnt from the ministry press department on Saturday. Blanar explained that the ministry will convey a protest over violations of international humanitarian law to the Russian Embassy in Slovakia. "Following repeated attacks by the Russian Federation on energy targets in Ukraine, I express solidarity with the civilians who are exposed to suffering during these freezing days. I condemn these attacks, whose consequences are fatal particularly during the winter period, and I call on the Russian Federation to stop this inhumane approach and to respect international humanitarian law," Blanar said. The minister stressed that civilians should not suffer in this way in any conflict and noted that Slovakia supplied twice as much emergency electricity to Ukraine in January this year alone as it did in the whole of last year. "In December, I also released half a million euros for the Ukrainian Embassy in Bratislava so that it could purchase from Slovak suppliers 38 large generators capable of producing electricity for larger facilities such as schools, kindergartens and hospitals," he specified. According to Blanar, Kastran informed him that most of the generators from the Slovak suppliers are operating in the Sumy region to mitigate power outages and the effects of freezing weather. After the Russian attacks on Ukraine, more than 1.2 million people have been left without electricity supplies. In the capital Kiev, approximately 6,000 buildings are without heating. The strikes have already been condemned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, while a second day of talks between representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at ending the war is due to take place in the United Arab Emirates. mf