UN commission calls Russian winter grid attacks war crimes

A United Nations commission has declared that Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukraine’s heating systems are war crimes, as they have used the cold of winter to harm civilians. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has investigated the impact of these attacks on civilians since 2022, focusing especially on the severe winter of 2025-2026, when temperatures dropped to minus 21 degrees Celsius. The commission found that Russian commanders knew the heating facilities they targeted were essential to the civilian population, and that they committed war crimes by intentionally attacking them. The report was submitted to the UN General Assembly on Monday, as Russia has stepped up its attacks on civilian targets. The UN commission has also accused Russia of human trafficking in connection with the recruitment of foreign fighters into its armed forces, with many of them killed, missing, injured, or captured.

The commission has called on the international community to hold Russia accountable for these attacks, and to take immediate action to protect civilians from further harm. The report noted that the frequency, intensity, and geographic range of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have increased over the years, and that these attacks have inflicted significant damage on Ukraine’s energy sector. The UN commission has also expressed concern about the threats to civilians’ lives and health as the cold season approaches. The Russian Ministry of Defence has accused Ukraine of striking the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine ahead of a planned local ceasefire this week.

A Russian strike on Ukraine’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia injured four people overnight, regional governor Mykhailo Semikin said on Telegram. The UN commission, which was set up by the Human Rights Council, has also accused Moscow of human trafficking in connection with the recruitment of foreign fighters into the Russian armed forces, with many of them killed, missing, injured, or captured. The report read that there have been numerous reports during the nearly five-year war of men from India having been duped into fighting on the front lines.

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