Heating point in Boryspil in the Kiev region of Ukraine. Ukraine: The UN monitoring mission presented a report for January Peace and security
Systematic attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine in January led to dire consequences for the civilian population. About this says the monthly report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (HRMMU), published on Friday.
According to the Mission, at least 161 civilians were killed across Ukraine in January and another 757 were injured – about the same number as in the same period a year earlier. Strikes with long-range weapons, including missiles and drones, accounted for 39 percent of all casualties. Most of the casualties were located near the front line, where short-range drones remained the main cause of civilian deaths.
Harsh winter
The report says that the strikes by the armed forces of the Russian Federation continued and in February, caused large-scale interruptions in electricity, heating and water supply throughout Ukraine amid sub-zero temperatures.
The Mission visited warming centres, hospitals and educational institutions in the hardest-hit areas to document the impact of the outages in the midst of one of the harshest winters in recent years.
“The scale and persistence of these attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for the lives and well-being of civilians,” said HRMMU head Danielle Bell. “When electricity, heating and water disappear again and again in the middle of winter, basic survival becomes a daily struggle.”
Constant attacks
According to the Mission, in January, Russian armed forces attacked energy facilities almost daily, including at least five massive attacks that hit several regions simultaneously. Damage or destruction was recorded in at least 17 regions of Ukraine, as well as in Kyiv.
Long power outages across the country have caused problems with heating and water, especially in multi-story buildings. Millions of people had only a few hours of light during the month day.
Repeated attacks on centralized heating supply facilities had especially serious consequences. In Kyiv, missiles and drones hit two thermal power plants several times, which each time led to a cutoff in the heat supply to almost six thousand high-rise buildings. As a result, the authorities said that it would not be possible to restore heating in more than 1,100 houses before the end of winter.
Basic rights have been violated
The mission stressed that the long-term lack of electricity, heat and water had negatively impacted a wide range of human rights, including the right to adequate housing, health care and education. The temperature in the apartments dropped sharply, and some people had to leave. Hospitals and clinics were canceling procedures, and many schools were closing.
The disruptions were especially hard on people with limited mobility, who found themselves locked in their homes during shutdowns due to non-functioning elevators. Some of them had to be moved to special institutions. Families with young children also faced particular challenges when the temperature inside dropped and cooking was impossible.
“The destruction of critical infrastructure has predictable and destructive humanitarian consequences,” Bell said. “It disrupts civil life, prevents basic needs and human rights from being met, and leaves millions of people facing extreme deprivation.” Civilians should never have to pay the price for attacks on vital services.”
Strikes on Russian territory
The UN Human Rights Mission also noted reports of attacks by the Ukrainian military on energy facilities in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation in January, which led to local interruptions in power and heating and water for the civilian population.