Arria-formula Meeting on Ukraine
Tomorrow morning (13 August), Russia will convene an Arria-formula meeting titled “Crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the nationalist battalions”. Briefings are expected from Rodion Miroshnik, Russian Ambassador-at-Large on the Crimes of the Kyiv Regime; Maxim Grigoriev, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber and Chairman of the International Public Tribunal on Ukraine, which was established by the Russian Civic Chamber in March 2022; and Oleg Soldat, Assistant Professor at the University of Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The meeting, which will begin at 10 am EST and take place in Conference Room 6, will be broadcast on UNTV. It will be open to representatives of all UN member states and permanent observers, UN entities, civil society organisations, and the press.
In a concept note prepared for tomorrow’s meeting, Russia says that the meeting aims to build on previous Arria-formula meetings it has organised. These include meetings titled “Systematic and mass grave violations of the international humanitarian law as well as other war crimes committed by the Ukrainian military personnel and militia and discovered in the course of ongoing special military operation of the Russian armed forces”, convened on 6 May 2022, and “Neo-Nazism and radical nationalism: exploring root causes of the crisis in Ukraine”, held on 11 July 2022.
According to the concept note, tomorrow’s meeting aims to provide member states with an opportunity to “analyse the root causes of the radical nationalism in Ukraine, to get unbiased first-hand information about tactics routinely used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the nationalist battalions in violation of international humanitarian law as well as to discuss ways to achieve a sustainable and long-term peace”.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members are expected to present opposing narratives about various aspects of the conflict in Ukraine and the appropriate framework for achieving a peaceful resolution. Russia’s concept note accuses Ukrainian forces of violating international humanitarian law, alleging that they have been carrying out actions such as deploying heavy weaponry in residential areas, employing “human shield” tactics, and targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Tomorrow, several Council members are expected to reject this narrative, reiterate accusations of atrocities committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, and call for accountability. Some members may also accuse Russia of using the Arria-formula format to spread disinformation.
Council members may also present diverging views on the recent Ukrainian offensive into the Kursk region in Russia and subsequent developments in Ukraine. On 6 August, hundreds of Ukrainian troops, supported by tanks and armoured vehicles, launched a series of cross-border raids into Russia’s Kursk region. While previous cross-border attacks had reportedly been carried out by Russian opposition groups based in Ukraine, the Kursk offensive represents the largest assault on Russian territory directly coordinated by the Ukrainian armed forces.
On 9 August, Russian authorities declared a state of emergency, and the Kremlin announced the launch of a “counter-terrorism operation” in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions.
Today (12 August), media reports cited Ukrainian officials as saying that their forces control nearly one thousand square kilometres of Russian territory. This morning, the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine currently controls 28 Russian settlements, covering an area approximately 12 kilometres deep and 40 kilometres wide. Smirnov also noted that over 121,000 people had been evacuated from the border areas.
Putin has characterised the offensive as a “large-scale provocation” and warned that Ukraine will receive “a worthy response”. He suggested that the offensive was aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s negotiating position ahead of potential peace talks and to hinder the progress of Russian forces in the eastern Donbas region in Ukraine.
At a press briefing on 7 August, US Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre argued that Ukraine was justified in taking “commonsense actions… to protect themselves” from attacks originating in Russia, reaffirming that US policy on Ukraine “has not changed”. She emphasised that the US would continue to “support Ukraine as they continue to defend themselves”. At a 12 August press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated China’s call for all parties to adhere to three principles for de-escalating the situation: “no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no fuelling the flame by any party”.
The Kursk offensive, which has significantly extended the front line to Russian territory, has heightened concerns about the potential for further escalation. On 10 August, Belarus deployed additional troops to reinforce its border with Ukraine, citing Ukrainian drone incursions into its airspace during Ukraine’s Kursk offensive.
Furthermore, with fighting occurring near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a statement on 9 August, urging all parties to exercise “maximum restraint” to prevent a nuclear accident that could result in severe “radiological consequences”.
On 11 August, the IAEA reported seeing thick dark smoke rising from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Russian authorities informed the IAEA team stationed at the plant that the smoke was the result of an alleged drone attack on one of the plant’s cooling towers. The IAEA confirmed that the fire did not compromise nuclear safety. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian troops of starting a fire at the ZNPP and claimed that Russia was using the plant to blackmail Ukraine.
Tomorrow, several Council members are expected to call for de-escalation, particularly concerning military activities around the KNPP and the ZNPP. Some members may reference General Assembly resolution A/RES/78/316, titled “Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”. This resolution, adopted on 11 July by a recorded vote of 99 in favour, nine against, and 60 abstentions, demands that Russia return the ZNPP to the “full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine to ensure its safety and security”.
