In the early hours of February 17, a Russian missile strike inflicted significant damage on Odesa’s energy infrastructure, according to reports from DTEK, a major energy company in Ukraine.
The company described the destruction as extensive, indicating that repairs would require a considerable amount of time to restore functionality. DTEK is currently on-site, working to clear debris and expedite recovery efforts, with a primary focus on restoring power to critical infrastructure facilities.
Local military administration head Serhiy Lysak confirmed that three individuals were injured in the attack, one of whom is in serious condition. He noted that air raid alerts were issued six times throughout the night in Odesa.
Russian forces have been consistently targeting Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure using a variety of weapons, including drones, missiles, and multiple rocket launch systems. These attacks have raised serious concerns among Ukrainian authorities and international organizations, who classify them as war crimes due to their deliberate nature.
Officials assert that the bombardment of essential services and health facilities aims to deprive civilians of electricity, heat, water supply, communication, medical assistance, and other vital resources, which some legal experts and human rights advocates describe as genocidal actions.
During this ongoing conflict, various forms of violence against Ukrainian citizens have been documented, including public calls for the destruction of Ukrainians by Russian officials. Such rhetoric has been accompanied by systematic attacks on infrastructure, targeting both civilian life and cultural identity.
The 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide obligates signatory countries to prevent and punish acts of genocide during both wartime and peacetime. This convention defines genocide as actions intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
Indicators of genocide include the killing of group members, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to bring about the group’s destruction, and the forcible transfer of children from one group to another.
Despite the evidence of targeted strikes on civilian infrastructure, Russian leadership continues to deny that their military is deliberately targeting Ukrainian cities and harming civilians, including hospitals, schools, and energy facilities.
A recent Russian missile strike in Odesa has severely damaged the city's energy infrastructure, injuring three individuals. Local authorities and international organizations are condemning these attacks as war crimes, citing a pattern of targeting essential services and civilian life.