In brief
Alexander De Croo, the head of the United Nations Development Programme, cautions that Ukraine is facing the harshest winter since Russia’s full‑scale invasion in 2022. He warns that ongoing air attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe if power, water and heating services fail. The UN is speeding up repairs to damaged substations and is building more resilient, decentralised energy sites. The Ukrainian energy firm DTEK’s crews are already working under constant air‑alarm alerts to restore supply before temperatures plunge. In the months leading up to this winter, Russia has intensifed drone and missile strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure, while Ukraine has responded with aerospace raids on Russian territory.
Alexander De Croo, the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) head, told the BBC that the country is bracing for the toughest winter since the full‑scale invasion began in 2022, after Russian forces allegedly targeted Ukraine’s power system.
De Croo said a “humanitarian catastrophe” could occur if attacks cut off power and water before temperatures fall to as low as –20 °C.
The UN, which follows the country’s energy repair effort, is accelerating the reconstruction of damaged substations and is building more resilient, decentralised energy plants that are less vulnerable to attack.
DTEK crew members in Kyiv have been working under constant air‑alarm alerts, “trying to rebuild but parts of your day you can’t work because it’s too dangerous”, the ex‑Belgian prime minister said.
In recent months, Russia has intensified jet‑powered drone strikes that are harder to intercept, targeting shopping malls, petrol stations, and critical energy transmission lines. Ukraine has responded by launching aerial strikes deep into Russian territory.
De Croo emphasized the “race against the clock” to restore Ukraine’s energy network before winter, warning that even a partial loss of power and water facilities would create “quite some human suffering”.
For Ukraine’s civilians, the stakes are high: heating, clean water and sewage will be most vulnerable if the infrastructure is hit again, potentially turning the coming months into a humanitarian crisis.
