Ukraine Faces "Toughest Winter" Since Full-Scale Invasion, UN Official Says

Ukraine is facing its toughest winter since the 2022 invasion, says UN development chief.

Alexander De Croo, head of the UN development agency, warned that a humanitarian catastrophe could follow if Russian attacks cut off power and water supply to the country.

He said Russia is systematically targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, making a race against the clock to repair the power network before temperatures plunge.

Both sides claim they avoid targeting civilian infrastructure, but recent aerial attacks on Kyiv, shopping malls and energy facilities have limited supplies.

The United Nations Development Programme is helping rebuild parts of the damaged energy system and is establishing more resilient, decentralised power plants to reduce vulnerability to future attacks.

De Croo warned that if the infrastructure is severely damaged, people could struggle to use heating and water—a situation close to a humanitarian catastrophe. Winter temperatures can drop to minus twenty degrees Celsius.

Under the UN’s efforts, work crews are repairing sites under constant threat of air alarms, proving the difficulty of restoring power during the active conflict.

The UN is closely monitoring the situation as the war continues to rage, with both Russia and Ukraine intensifying aerial attacks.