UN panel: Russia is committing crimes against humanity by targeting civilians in Ukraine

UN investigators say attacks on Ukraine’s energy network amount to crimes against humanity

Earthguardiansonline.com – A United Nations investigative panel has concluded that Russia’s sustained strikes on civilian energy facilities in Ukraine amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, describing the campaign as an intentional effort to leave civilians without heat and electricity during winter.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said Russian attacks on power generation, heating systems and other essential infrastructure were not isolated military incidents. Its latest findings characterize the strikes as part of a state policy designed to deny the civilian population vital energy supplies and inflict suffering.

The commission’s report is being presented to the UN General Assembly. It says commanders who directed the attacks understood that heating infrastructure was essential for civilians, especially when temperatures fall sharply during the winter months.

A winter of darkness and extreme cold

Russia began striking Ukrainian power infrastructure during the first months of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The campaign intensified dramatically at the start of last winter, disrupting electricity and heating for millions of people.

In the areas hit hardest by the attacks, Ukraine said thermal power generation capacity fell by 70%. The consequences were compounded by severe weather, with temperatures reaching as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius, or minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit, on several occasions.

The UN panel documented the effect of prolonged exposure to cold on people living in damaged or unheated buildings. Ukrainian medical authorities recorded deaths linked to low temperatures inside homes and hospitals. Medical workers also described treating patients for frostbite, hypothermia and other cold-related injuries after they had been unable to stay warm at home.

“Cold—it paralyzes you; there’s simply no way to get warm, and terrifying thoughts come into your mind.”

The statement came from a woman in Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city, whose experience was included in the commission’s findings. Her account illustrates how attacks on infrastructure can extend far beyond damaged equipment, affecting health, safety and daily life across entire communities.

Senior Russian figures named in the findings

The report identifies several prominent Russian officials as bearing responsibility for the conduct it describes as war crimes and crimes against humanity. It says President Vladimir Putin made multiple statements involving instructions to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Investigators also point to former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, his successor Andrey Belousov, and Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff. The commission says evidence gathered over several years indicates they were involved in planning and overseeing the strikes.

The International Criminal Court has already issued arrest warrants for Putin, Shoigu and Gerasimov over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The commission was created by the UN Human Rights Council shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Previous investigations have examined allegations of sexual and gender-based violence by Russian forces, as well as the large-scale forced deportation of Ukrainian children by Russian authorities.

Threats continue as another cold season approaches

With colder weather returning, the danger posed by long-range drone and missile attacks remains acute. Russia has indicated it intends to continue targeting Ukraine’s energy system. A Russian Defense Ministry declaration in August referred to attacks on energy facilities and included the warning:

“In winter you will freeze.”

Ukraine faces mounting difficulty in countering major aerial assaults because of a serious shortage of air-defense missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged Western partners to provide more ammunition, stressing that protecting civilian infrastructure before and during winter is a central concern.

Ukraine has also targeted Russian oil and gas facilities in an effort to reduce the Kremlin’s energy-export revenue. Those attacks have been scaled back following criticism from US President Donald Trump, who has blamed Ukraine for higher gas prices.

The commission’s assessment places particular emphasis on the civilian nature of the harm caused by attacks on energy systems. Electricity networks and heating plants support homes, hospitals, water supplies and other basic services. When they are damaged during extreme cold, the effect can quickly become a threat to life for people who may have no practical way to leave, heat their homes or obtain medical care.

The findings add to the growing body of international scrutiny focused on the conduct of the war and the officials alleged to have directed it. For Ukrainians approaching another winter under threat of large-scale strikes, the report underscores that the battle over energy infrastructure is also a battle over civilian survival.