The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said in a report on Thursday that Russian armed forces’ attacks on energy facilities in Ukraine had devastating effects on the country’s infrastructure and possibly violated international humanitarian law. The UN-mandated mission focused its report on nine waves of attacks on Ukraine’s electric power system that took place between March 22 and August 21, 2024.
According to the report, Russian armed forces conducted large-scale attacks between March 22 and August 21, 2024 that targeted power generation plants, substations and electricity transmission systems across Ukraine. The report stated that the attacks resulted in the destruction of electricity facilities in 20 Ukrainian regions and seriously compromised Ukraine’s electricity supply, water distribution, sewage and sanitation systems and heating and hot water supply which affected civilians’ daily lives. Given the scale and the high precision of the weapons deployed in the attacks, the UN considered that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that multiple aspects of the military campaign to damage or destroy Ukraine’s civilian electricity and heat-producing and transmission infrastructure have violated foundational principles of international humanitarian law.”
In addition, the report also stated that the strikes led to a deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country. The strikes allegedly contributed to the forced displacement of civilians and deprived children from attending schools. According to the UN, a large number of Ukrainians have fled the country since April 2024 due to a lack of access to electricity, heating and water. The National Bank of Ukraine further estimated that an additional 500,000 Ukrainian nationals would leave the country from 2024 to 2025, citing the destruction of the energy system as the main reason for leaving. Further, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that Ukrainian children lost millions of hours of study due to power outages.
The report noted that the destruction of the power grid also affected Ukraine’s economy. Ukraine experienced an increase in inflation and electricity costs in addition to a reduction in anticipated gross domestic product and business revenues. The HRMMU said that the attacks on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure “likely” violated the three principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution under international humanitarian law which aim at protecting civilians and civilian objects.
The International Criminal Court previously issued arrest warrants against Russian defense officials for allegedly attacking civilian targets in Ukraine. Russian authorities dismissed the charges and saw it as part of the West’s propaganda against Russia. Concerning the infrastructure attack, Russia’s Foreign Ministry asserted in a statement that Ukrainian forces started the infrastructure attacks by striking civilian infrastructure such as residential buildings and social facilities within Russian territory. It stated that “all those who want to help Ukraine maintain its energy security overlook the fact that Kyiv was the first to attack civilian energy facilities at the line of contact”. The statement also highlighted that Russian forces only strike at facilities that are directly involved in combatting operations and actions conducted by Ukraine’s armed forces at the line of contact and inside the Russian territory.
