Russia attacks on Ukraine energy grid cause severe harm, Amnesty Intentional says News
National Police of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Russia attacks on Ukraine energy grid cause severe harm, Amnesty Intentional says

Amnesty Intentional reported Tuesday that widespread outages of essential services amid continuing Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left residents without heat, electricity, or running water during severe winter conditions.

The report cites numerous testimonies from Ukrainian civilians that detail worsening conditions in a particularly harsh winter. Living in dangerously cold weather, and with hypothermia deaths on the rise, many have resorted to dangerous methods to heat living spaces, such as using gas stoves to heat bricks and candles to warm tents set up indoors.

In response, the government has erected several “resistance points,” large tents heated by generators, throughout Kyiv that are open 24 hours a day and offer a refuge for those seeking warmth.

Russia has attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout the nearly four-year war, with especially heavy attacks reported throughout the early months of 2026. On Monday, 125 Russian drones attacked Ukraine’s Odesa region, and while Ukrainian forces neutralized 110 of them, the attack reportedly left 95,000 people without electricity.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has condemned the strikes, pointing to the harm power interruptions inflict on civilians. Kyiv’s mayor has recommended that willing and able residents leave the city for the countryside, where wood and coal stoves can be used to provide heat.

Russian attacks on energy infrastructure potentially constitute breaches of international law. Under Article 54(2) of Additional Protocol I, nations cannot attack or destroy objects or systems that are indispensable to the survival of the civilian population.

Russia has repeatedly been accused of various breaches of international law since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Alleged breaches include crimes against humanity and various war crimes under the Rome Statute, which governs the International Criminal Court. In March 2023, the court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to these accusations.

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