UN panel: Russia is committing crimes against humanity by targeting civilians in Ukraine
UN panel finds crimes against humanity in Ukraine attacks
Goldlaner.com – A UN panel has concluded that Russia’s sustained attacks on Ukraine’s electricity, heating and other civilian energy systems amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The investigators said the strikes were deliberately designed to deny civilians essential services and inflict suffering.
The findings come as Ukraine approaches another winter, when damage to power generation and heating networks can pose an immediate danger to civilians. The UN panel said Russian military leaders knew that facilities supplying heat and electricity were indispensable, particularly in severe cold.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine is presenting its latest report to the UN General Assembly. It said the attacks were intentional and reflected a state policy intended to cut civilians off from energy supplies.
“Russian commanders who were ordering these attacks knew that the heating facilities they targeted were indispensable to the civilian population, in particular during the winter,” the report said.
The human cost of attacks on energy systems
Russian forces began targeting Ukrainian power infrastructure during the early stages of the full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. The campaign intensified sharply during the previous winter, leaving many households without dependable heat, light and electricity.
Kyiv has said that major drone and missile barrages last winter reduced thermal power-generation capacity by 70% in the hardest-hit areas. The damage coincided with unusually harsh weather, with temperatures falling to minus 30 degrees Celsius, or minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit, on several occasions.
The UN panel documented the effects of prolonged cold in homes and disrupted public services. Ukrainian medical authorities recorded deaths connected to low temperatures in residences and hospitals, according to the report.
Hospital workers described treating people for frostbite, hypothermia and other cold-related injuries after they had lived in unheated buildings. Some became sick at home and required hospitalization.
“Cold—it paralyzes you; there’s simply no way to get warm, and terrifying thoughts come into your mind,” a woman living in Dnipro told the commission.
Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city, has repeatedly experienced the broader consequences of attacks on critical infrastructure. When power systems are damaged, hospitals, water services, transport and communications can also be affected.
Senior officials and the wider investigation
The UN panel identified President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials as bearing primary responsibility for conduct it described as war crimes and crimes against humanity. It said Putin made several statements involving instructions to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The report also cited evidence linking former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, current Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to the planning and oversight of the strikes.
The International Criminal Court has already issued arrest warrants for Putin, Shoigu and Gerasimov over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Kremlin was approached for comment on the new UN findings.
The inquiry was established by the UN Human Rights Council days after Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Earlier investigations examined allegations of sexual and gender-based violence by Russian armed forces and the widespread forced deportation of Ukrainian children by Russian authorities.
Winter risks remain for Ukraine
Russia has indicated that attacks on Ukraine’s energy system will remain part of the conflict. In August, the Russian Defence Ministry announced strikes on such infrastructure and declared: “In winter you will freeze.”
Ukraine faces the renewed threat while lacking sufficient air-defense missiles to counter large drone and missile attacks. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on Western partners for more ammunition as winter approaches.
Ukraine has also targeted Russian oil and gas infrastructure in an effort to reduce Kremlin revenue from energy exports. Those operations have been eased after criticism from US President Donald Trump, who blamed Ukraine for higher gas prices.
FAQ
What did the UN panel conclude? The commission concluded that Russia’s deliberate strikes on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Why are energy attacks especially dangerous in winter? Damage to electricity and heating systems can leave people without warmth, light, water, medical care and communications during freezing temperatures.
Who is named in the report? The report identifies Putin and other senior Russian officials, including Shoigu, Belousov and Gerasimov, in connection with the planning, direction or oversight of the attacks.