OPINION:
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that as of late 2025, 14,383 civilians had been killed in Ukraine, 673 of them children.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, generating facilities and heating infrastructure in efforts to disrupt electricity, heat and water services, especially in winter. Russia is clearly targeting Ukraine’s civilian population.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko recently told Reuters that the city, with a population of 3.6 million, has only about half the electricity it needs amid its most severe wartime energy crisis after waves of Russian attacks on its infrastructure.
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year, Ukrainian casualties are estimated at 400,000, with civilian casualties rising, according to the United Nations.
The laws of war are clear: Intentionally targeting civilians is prohibited. Civilians should never be the objective of an attack. Even more specifically, a combatant should avoid or reduce harm to civilian infrastructure.
The International Criminal Court has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of war crimes for the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia. Several U.N. entities and other civilian organizations monitoring the war in Ukraine maintain that he is also guilty of the indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure.
The result is widespread blackouts and heating loss for civilians, creating a serious humanitarian situation. These attacks are not limited to Kyiv; they are part of a larger, coordinated plan to target all of Ukraine.
Ukraine has reported that since 2022, tens of thousands of energy infrastructure facilities — including generation plants, substations, heating plants and transmission lines — have been damaged. At least 18 major combined heat and power plants have been destroyed or seriously damaged, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Russian strikes have left hundreds of thousands of people without central heating amid subzero temperatures. Indeed, officials and humanitarian groups are warning that millions of Ukrainians are at heightened risk this winter because of a lack of heat, electricity and water amid the intense cold. U.N. officials described the situation as a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Mr. Putin’s strategy is to target civilians by increasing the intensity of bombings of Ukraine’s heating, water and electricity infrastructure. These are violations of the laws of war, and the ICC should immediately begin hearings on these actions, which have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Ukrainian civilians. Mr. Putin is perpetrating a war crime.
• The author is a former associate director of national intelligence. All statements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the U.S. government. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. government authentication of information or endorsement of the author’s views.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.