The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) predicts that Ukrainians could face severe power outages this winter, resulting in power outages lasting between four and 18 hours per day, according to a recent report by the Mission.
HRMMU experts note that military attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, including electricity and heat generation and transmission facilities, violate fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. They indicate that the attacked facilities pose a serious threat to water supply, sanitation, heating, hot water supply, public health, education and the economy as a whole.
The HRMMU visited seven power plants affected by the attacks, as well as 28 settlements that were hit. It was found that a large part of Ukraine’s urban population, which relies on district heating systems, could face serious difficulties with their heating. For example, in Kyiv, almost 95% of residents rely on district heating systems, which require electric pumps that can fail without reliable electricity.
Experts also noted that energy problems became one of the main reasons for Ukrainians leaving abroad in the summer of 2024. This emphasizes the need to urgently address issues related to the restoration and protection of critical infrastructure in order to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity and heat in the conditions of a protracted war.
