Ukraine faces 'toughest winter' since Russia's full-scale invasion, UN official tells BBC

What the report says

Ukraine is heading into what a senior United Nations official described to the BBC as its hardest winter since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Alexander De Croo, the UN’s third most senior official and head of the UN Development Programme, warned that continued attacks on energy infrastructure could create a humanitarian emergency if people lose access to power, heating, water and sewage services.

Reporting from Kyiv, the BBC said De Croo argued that Russia has been systematically striking civilian and energy targets, including transmission lines, petrol stations, shopping malls and business centres. He said repair crews are in a race against time to restore damaged systems before temperatures fall further. Winter conditions in Ukraine can drop to around -20C, increasing the risk if electricity and water networks fail.

The UN agency is helping rebuild parts of Ukraine’s energy system damaged last winter and is also supporting more decentralised power projects that are harder to attack. De Croo said the work is extremely difficult because repairs often take place under air raid alerts and in areas that remain vulnerable to renewed strikes.

The BBC’s report comes amid intensified aerial attacks by both Russia and Ukraine in recent months. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians. The warning matters because the coming winter could strain an already weakened infrastructure network and worsen the humanitarian toll of the war.