In brief
A top United Nations official has warned that Ukraine will face its toughest winter in the war since 2022, with risks of a humanitarian catastrophe if energy infrastructure is further damaged. Alexander De Croo, former Belgian Prime Minister and head of UNDP, accused Russia of a systematic campaign against Ukraine’s power network, potentially cutting off heating and water supplies amid temperatures that can fall to -20 °C. UNDP is working to repair damaged substations and build decentralised energy plants, but crews are forced to pause work frequently due to constant air-raid alarms. The UN stresses that the situation could bring large-scale suffering if critical systems fail before the cold season.
Ukraine is bracing for its toughest winter since Russia’s full‑scale invasion in 2022, a warning the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) head Alexander De Croo delivered to the BBC amid increasing Russian attacks on the country’s power network. De Croo said the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe looms if summer repairs are not completed before temperatures plunge to as low as -20 °C, potentially shutting off heating and water supplies to millions.
He accused Russia of a “very systematic” campaign targeting civilian and energy infrastructure, citing petrol stations, shopping malls and, most critically, power transmission lines. Under the UN’s aid, Ukraine is working to restore damaged substations, though crews face constant air‑raid alarms that force them to pause work at dangerous times.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have ramped up aerial attacks, with both sides denying deliberate targeting of civilian sites. The UN warns that a severe winter without power could lead to widespread suffering, and calls on the international community to support Ukraine’s efforts to rebuild a resilient energy system.
De Croo concluded that the UN’s design of decentralised energy plants offers a more secure alternative that can withstand the ongoing conflict, but the path remains fraught with technical and security challenges.
