Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, has condemned Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
New UN data indicates that 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), 2,514 civilians were killed and 12,142 injured in 2025 — a 31% increase in deaths compared to 2024, marking the highest toll since the first year of the war.
O’Flaherty described the systematic destruction of energy infrastructure during the freezing winter as an attack on the physical and mental health, dignity, and safety of the Ukrainian people.
In recent weeks, Russia has launched daily waves of missiles and drones against thermal power plants, substations, and heating facilities across Ukraine.
Major blows have affected Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity in temperatures as low as -15°C.
“These daily attacks are seriously hindering repair efforts and leaving millions of civilians without essential services in the freezing winter,” said O’Flaherty.
The left side of Dnipro city has been without power for five consecutive days. Hospitals, heating systems, and water supply networks have been disrupted in multiple regions, with emergency power outages continuing nationwide.
The Commissioner also recalled that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russian military commanders for attacks on Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure.
Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash and Admiral Viktor Sokolov are accused of directing attacks on civilian facilities and committing crimes against humanity.
