In brief
Alexander De Croo, head of the UN development agency, has warned that Ukraine faces the toughest winter since the 2022 invasion as Russian attacks have severely damaged the country’s energy network. He highlighted the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe if power and water supplies are cut, urging rapid repairs before temperatures drop below –20 °C. The UN is scrambling to rebuild damaged substations and establish decentralised power plants to reduce the risk of strikes. Critics accuse Russia of systematically targeting civilian infrastructure, while Ukrainian officials assert that civilian casualties must be avoided. The war’s intensification with drone and aerial attacks continues to threaten vital services as Ukraine prepares for the cold season.
Alexander De Croo, head of the UN Development Programme, has said that Ukraine is faced with a stark and deadly winter as Russia’s full‑scale invasion continues to damage the country’s power and water infrastructure.
He warned that if Russian attacks sever access to electricity and water, civilians could experience an emergency of humanitarian proportions, especially when temperatures may fall to ‛-20“C in some regions.
De Croo said Ukraine has started the season with a very weak base, and the UN is “very, very worried” about what this winter could become. He called the attacks on energy transmission lines “very systematic” and without justification.
The UNDP is working to repair parts of Ukraine’s energy network damaged in the previous winter and is establishing more resilient, decentralised power stations that are less vulnerable to attack. The task is described as “almost impossible” because workers are repairing sites under constant air‑alarm threats.
Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, but Ukrainian officials report ongoing strikes on energy facilities, petrol stations, shopping malls and other civilian sites, with casualties rising each week.
As winter approaches, the international community watches closely, urging the destruction of power infrastructure to be halted before it plunges Ukraine into a widespread humanitarian crisis.
