In brief
Alexander De Croo, head of the UN Development Programme, warned in Kyiv that Ukraine faces its toughest winter since the 2022 invasion, citing systematic Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. He stressed the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe if power and water supplies are disrupted as temperatures plunge. The UN is working to rebuild damaged lines and deploy decentralized power plants, yet crews continue repairs under constant air‑alarm threats. The situation could force widespread heating failures and sewage breakdowns during a period when Ukraine’s winter temperatures can drop to -20C. The UN urges urgent support to secure the nation’s essential services.
Alexander De Croo, former Belgian prime minister and chief of the United Nations Development Programme, told the BBC in Kyiv that Ukraine faces its “toughest winter” since the full‑scale Russian invasion of 2022. He warned that if Russian attacks cut power and water supplies, the country could enter a humanitarian catastrophe.
De Croo accused Russia of a “very systematic” targeting of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, pointing to the destruction of power‑transmission lines, petrol stations, shopping malls and other civilian facilities.
The UN’s development arm is therefore racing to repair the damaged power network before temperatures fall deeply in winter, when reductions in heating could have dire consequences for thousands of households.
Reconstruction crews are working under constant air‑alarm alerts and the threat that their sites may be randomly targeted. “They are reconstructing these sites under constant, constant air alarms. And they know that they are working at a site which is a target,” De Croo said.
The UN is also building more sustainable, decentralized energy plants that are less vulnerable to attack, hopeful that these initiatives will keep heating and water services running during the coldest months.
