Systematic Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure constitute crimes against humanity, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry into the Events in Ukraine has concluded. According to the commission, the attacks were part of a state policy aimed at depriving the civilian population of electricity and other vital services.
The investigation covers the consequences of the strikes since the fall of 2022, with special attention paid to the winter of 2025-2026. The commission says the frequency, intensity and geographical scope of the attacks have increased. “Millions of civilians were deprived of electricity, heating, water and gas for long periods“, the findings presented state.
Last winter, temperatures in Ukraine fell to minus 21 degrees. In these conditions, the disruptions in heating and electricity supplies hit the elderly and people with limited mobility hardest. The commission notes that damage to energy facilities also disrupted access to water and other basic services.
The commission points to state policy
The commission's assessment is that Russian commanders were aware of the vital importance of heating facilities for the civilian population. On this basis, deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure have also been defined as war crimes.
The UN Commission has already found violations of international humanitarian law in Russian attacks on civilian objects and has indicated that the systematic nature and scale of the actions may reach the threshold of crimes against humanity. The new assessment specifically addresses the consequences of attacks on energy infrastructure during the period under review.
New outages in six Ukrainian regions
On October 26, “Ukrenergo“ reported new power outages in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions following Russian attacks. This underscores the ongoing pressure on the energy system at the start of the new heating season.
On the same day, Russia launched a ballistic missile strike on Kiev. According to Ukrainian authorities, one person was killed and 10 were injured. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that means are needed to destroy Russian ballistic missile launchers. “This would be the most effective way to save lives,“ he said.
Fighting continues on the entire front
The Ukrainian General Staff reported 185 combat engagements on October 26. According to its data, Russian forces carried out 48 air strikes, dropped 155 guided bombs, used 6,385 kamikaze drones and carried out 2,007 shelling of settlements and positions of Ukrainian troops.
The largest number of Russian attacks were reported in the Pokrovskoye sector - 25, and in the Konstantinovskoe - 25. 20. Fighting was also waged in the Yuzhno-Slobozhanskoe, Kupyanskoe, Limanskoe, Slavyanskoe, Aleksandrovskoe and Gulyaipolskoe directions.
Sources: epravda.com.ua, pravda.com.ua