The United Nations calls for an end to systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure

Since the beginning of 2026, the Russian armed forces’ attacks on Ukraine have continued unabated. During the night, at least one person was reported killed and dozens injured, while hundreds of thousands faced power, heat and water outages.

In Kharkiv, a residence housing displaced people fleeing violence on the front lines was bombed. A hospital and residential homes were also damaged.

In Kiev, thousands of residential buildings lost basic services as temperatures dropped below zero. The entire city of Chernihiv and hundreds of thousands of families in the region were left without electricity.

Maintenance and civil defense teams, and humanitarian workers, continue to repair damage and provide support to residents in light of the freezing temperatures.

UN official Matthias Schmale said that this systematic cycle of attacks on energy infrastructure violates international humanitarian law and must stop.

He stressed the need for civilians to be safe and warm in their homes, and not to live in fear of the losses that the next round of destruction might inflict.