““Since March, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been regularly targeted by attacks that cause significant damage to the civilian population. This is especially acutely felt by the most vulnerable categories of the population.””, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“Since March, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been regularly targeted by attacks that cause significant damage to the civilian population. This is especially acutely felt by the most vulnerable categories of the population: the elderly, low-income families, people with disabilities and internally displaced persons. With temperatures falling below freezing and likely to continue to drop, access to electricity and related services is critical to ensuring the survival of civilians,” the statement said.
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The UN recalled that on November 28, missile and drone strikes damaged at least 13 regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv, causing power outages for more than a million consumers across the country, and disrupting basic services such as water supply and transportation in some regions. .
“Although the full impact of the latest attacks will only become apparent over time, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine is systematically documenting their consequences. This includes the impact on electricity generation, cold and hot water supply, heating, as well as health and education systems – in fact, the entire daily life of millions of civilians across the country,” the statement said.
The UN High Commissioner emphasized that the actions of the Russian Federation aimed at damaging or destroying the civilian energy infrastructure of Ukraine, in particular the objects necessary for survival in winter, cause “serious concerns about the observance by the Russian military forces of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law: distinction, caution and proportionality under time of hostilities”.
“We strongly urge the Russian Federation to immediately stop attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, which is critically important for the civilian population. It is also necessary to ensure responsibility for all illegal attacks, and the international community should make efforts to provide priority assistance to Ukraine in the repair and restoration of its energy system,” the UN emphasized.
On November 28, Russian troops inflicted another massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that they shot down almost 90 percent of the Kalibr and X-101 cruise missiles launched by Russia, but there were hits – a total of 12, mainly at the facilities of the fuel and energy sector. In total, Russia attacked 188 means of air attack.
According to the Ministry of Energy, since October 2022, Russia has carried out more than a thousand strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities.