Ukraine faces ‘toughest winter’ since Russia’s full-scale invasion, UN official tells BBC
A senior United Nations official has warned that Ukraine is facing its "toughest winter" since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022, with a risk of "humanitarian catastrophe" if attacks knock out power and water supplies. Alexander De Croo, head of the UN Development Programme and the UN's third most senior official, accused Russia of systematically targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure and said repair crews were now in a "race against the clock" before temperatures plummet. This matters because millions of Ukrainians could be left without heating, water or sewage systems in freezing conditions, compounding the strain of a war now in its fifth year.
De Croo said Ukraine was entering winter "from a very weak base" after strikes on petrol stations, shopping malls and business centres alongside power infrastructure, calling the targeting "very systematic" with "absolutely no justification." Winter temperatures in Ukraine can fall to -20C, and De Croo said severe damage to critical infrastructure could cause "quite some human suffering." Recent attacks have included a drone strike on a Pavlohrad shopping mall killing five and wounding 67, strikes on malls in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy, a Ukrainian drone attack on Sochi, and deadly strikes near a Ukraine-Moldova border crossing. The UN Development Programme is helping rebuild damaged energy systems and establish more decentralised, attack-resistant power plants ahead of winter.
In short
- UN official warns of "humanitarian catastrophe" risk this winter in Ukraine
- Russia accused of systematically targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure
- Recent strikes have killed civilians in shopping malls and border areas
Explained simply
Ukraine has faced Russia’s full-scale invasion since February 2022, and the fighting has damaged homes, businesses and essential services. The country’s energy system supplies electricity for heating, water pumps and sewage treatment, so damage to it can affect daily life well beyond power cuts.
The United Nations Development Programme is a UN agency that supports countries with development and recovery work. Its head, Alexander De Croo, has said the agency is helping repair energy systems and set up smaller power plants that may be less vulnerable to attacks.
Ukraine’s winters can bring temperatures as low as -20C, when people rely heavily on heating and working water systems. Prolonged disruption could leave many people without these services and make conditions harder for residents and repair crews.
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