UN: This will be Ukraine's hardest winter yet as strikes on energy grid intensify

Former Belgian Prime Minister and head of the UN Development Programme Alexander De Croo, during a visit to Ukraine, said the country is "racing against time" to repair its damaged energy infrastructure before the cold sets in.

He said the coming winter will be the toughest for Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, and that the country is entering it "from a very weak position." The UN is concerned about how the cold could affect the lives of ordinary Ukrainians, De Croo told the BBC.

Strikes on energy and infrastructure

De Croo accused Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has been waging war on the country ever since, of systematically targeting areas where energy infrastructure is located. "These are fuel stations, shopping and commercial centres, but above all — energy infrastructure, power grids and similar facilities. There is absolutely no justification for this," said De Croo, who holds the UN's third-highest-ranking post.

According to him, the situation could lead to "the worst-case scenario": people could face problems getting power for heating, and water supply and sewage systems could also be disrupted. Winter temperatures in Ukraine can drop below minus twenty degrees Celsius.

De Croo heads the UN Development Programme, which is helping Ukraine rebuild part of the energy infrastructure damaged by Russian strikes last winter. The organisation is also helping the country prepare for the coming winter season and is building more resilient, decentralised energy facilities that are less vulnerable to attack.

He said completing this difficult and dangerous work is "an almost impossible task." "These facilities are being repaired amid constant air raid alerts. And people know they're working at a site that is a target for strikes," he explained. "You try to fix things, but for part of the day it's simply impossible to work because it's just too dangerous."

Renewed strikes on the capitals

In recent months, both sides of the conflict have intensified mutual air strikes. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure.

In recent attacks, aimed mainly at the Ukrainian capital, Russia has begun using faster jet-powered drones that are harder to shoot down. Most of these strikes have targeted Ukrainian infrastructure — businesses, warehouses, factories, fuel stations and power grids.

Ukraine, for its part, continues to strike deep inside Russian territory, primarily targeting gas, oil and distribution facilities. Both sides of the conflict deny striking civilians.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz