A United Nations inquiry has concluded that Russia’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity, warning that repeated strikes deprived civilians of essential services during the winter months.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said its findings drew on testimony from 255 people who experienced the winter of 2025–26 in Kyiv and eight other regions. Temperatures fell as low as minus 21 degrees Celsius, and millions of people endured prolonged interruptions to heating, electricity, water and gas.
Investigators said the scale and repeated nature of the attacks, alongside their geographic spread, supported the conclusion that the campaign was aimed at depriving civilians of essential services and causing suffering. The commission also said military commanders ordering the strikes knew that heating facilities were indispensable to the civilian population.
Russia’s mission to the United Nations rejected the commission’s authority and described its findings as based on falsified data. Moscow has maintained that its forces target military or military-related facilities.
The findings come as Ukraine prepares for another winter under continued threat to its power and heating systems. The commission’s conclusions concern the legal assessment of the attacks and are distinct from any future criminal trial of individual suspects.
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