UN Says Russia’s Energy Attacks Possibly Crimes Against Humanity

A UN report published on Oct. 19 says Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid may amount to crimes against humanity. The report, penned by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry onJOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Ukraine and submitted by the UN secretary general, says the attacks show the Russian military’s intent to deprive the Ukrainian civilian population of the necessary means of survival. “The Commission assesses that the Russian commanders ordering the attacks had the knowledge that the heating facilities they targeted in large civilian agglomerations were indispensable to the civilian population, in particular during the winter,” the report says. Russian authorities have made declarations to attack Ukraine’s energy grid, the report says, adding that the attacks were “carried out with intent and pursuant to a state policy to deprive the civilian population from essential energy supplies and cause suffering.” The UN report also notes that Russia has been launching similar attacks since 2022 – including the winter of 2025-26, when attacks on heating facilities turned off heating in subzero temperatures – before noting that the attacks have “intensified.” Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to strike Ukraine’s energy grid in December 2022, with recent Kremlin statements suggesting that it aims to pressure Kyiv towards capitulation this winter. Other Topics of Interest Russia Pounds Kyiv’s Energy Infrastructure: How Are Residents Preparing for Winter? What happens when the lights and heating go out? Kyiv residents speak candidly about their plans for winter. After the previous winter, Russia has begun to target Ukraine’s energy grid in earnest in October 2026, with regular blackouts already introduced nationwide ahead of the coldest months. Water disruptions were also reported in Kyiv and other cities after Russia targeted facilities needed to power the pumps, with Ukrainians interviewed by Kyiv Post calling it a major concern ahead of the winter. Ukraine’s energy minister said Kyiv has obtained detailed Russian plans on the energy attacks, including but not limited to the use of roughly 1,000 weapons to disable power facilities nationwide. On Oct. 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia damaged 28 Ukrainian substations overnight. “The Commission has concluded that the Russian authorities have committed war crimes of intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects and the crimes against humanity of other inhumane acts,” the UN report adds. With Russia’s suffering frontline setbacks in Ukraine’s Donbas region, where Ukraine has liberated much of the territory Russia occupied in 2026, speculators suggest both sides expect each other to break this winter. No energy truce in sight Ukraine has sought to intensify attacks on Russian refineries – a major revenue source for the Kremlin – after a summer campaign that reportedly disabled 43% of Russia’s refining capacity, while Russia has sought to decimate Ukraine’s already-battered energy grid. US President Donald Trump touted an energy truce between Kyiv and Moscow in October, though the terms appeared to cover only refineries, not other energy facilities, favoring Moscow. After Trump demanded Kyiv stop hitting Russian refineries, Kyiv paused briefly before resuming about a week later after Russia continued hitting Ukraine’s energy grid. On Monday, the Kremlin said the ongoing peace talks, with trilateral talks involving the US, Russia, and Ukraine under discussion, would not slow down Russian attacks on Ukraine. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.