Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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December 2, 2025 Peace and security
Ukraine has entered its fourth winter of full-scale war – and this winter, warns Matthias Schmale, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, could be even harder than previous ones. In an interview with the UN News Service, he discussed growing fatigue, the devastated energy infrastructure, the plight of the most vulnerable groups, and why, despite the perceived repetition, UN statements regarding the attacks on Ukraine remain so important.
According to Matthias Schmale, Ukrainians are trying to live a normal life under daily shelling: just recently, in Dnipro, he recalls, four civilians were killed and dozens were injured. At the same time, the energy system—generators and distribution networks—is under attack. With the onset of cold weather, the main concern of humanitarian workers is people who may be left without utilities in multi-story buildings this winter.
"If the energy sector continues to collapse and the winter is very cold, our worst nightmare is thousands of people stuck in cities, in high-rise buildings, without electricity, heat, or water," says Shmale.
Fatigue and psychological exhaustion
This winter differs from the previous one not only in the scale of the destruction but also in the cumulative effects of four years of war. The UN coordinator emphasizes that there is visible damage—destroyed homes, schools, hospitals, the dead and wounded. But there is also an invisible layer—psychological exhaustion.
"I really feel as I travel around the country that people are getting tired, increasingly exhausted. They're increasingly questioning whether they even have a positive future," he notes.
Last year, Shmale adds, the damaged power system was restored fairly quickly, and the winter was milder than expected. Now, however, the damage is much greater, and the winter forecast is harsher.
United Nations News Service
Humanitarian agencies are focusing their attention on three categories of vulnerable people. The first are low-income urban residents living in old or dilapidated high-rise buildings. The second are those remaining close to the front line: according to UN estimates, at least half a million people, mostly elderly and those with limited mobility, remain within a zone of zero to 20 kilometers from the contact line. The third category are internally displaced persons (IDPs), who have been living in a protracted crisis for four years, often without a stable income or housing.
Why do people stay?
Evacuations from frontline areas continue in waves. Shmale says he recently returned from the Donetsk region, where, according to the local governor, fewer than 200,000 people remain in the government-controlled part of the region—and at least half of them will likely leave with the onset of the harsh winter. But the other half, paradoxically, will remain.
The reasons why people stay vary. For some, it's a profound attachment to the land and home—they and their ancestors were born there. Others simply haven't found acceptable temporary housing options in relatively safe areas: "Some say, 'I'm better off in my own home, even if it's more dangerous, but at least I don't have to pay rent.'" There are also those who stoically insist that "we'll survive another year," while others remain out of protest and in memory of those who perished: they feel they cannot leave a land for which they have already paid such a high price.
© UKGV
Help continues to arrive
The work of humanitarian workers in winter is complicated by weather conditions and the constantly shifting front line. Roads become slippery and dangerous, and the advance of Russian forces makes access to a number of settlements impossible. The World Food Programme, Shmale notes, has already lost access to at least 50,000 people it had previously been able to help.
The UN winter plan provides assistance to approximately 1.7 million people, primarily those living in frontline and rural areas. They are provided with cash assistance for fuel and electricity, warm clothing, and other items to help them survive the cold season. The plan requested $278 million, and it is approximately 65 percent funded.
"We've been able to accomplish a lot, but we lack funds. There are still people waiting for support—cash, fuel for stoves," says the UN coordinator, thanking international donors for the funds they've allocated and asking them to continue to help Ukraine.
If the missing resources do not arrive, the de facto “Plan B” for people will be a new wave of displacement – within the country or abroad.
The state continues to perform its functions
At the same time, Shmale emphasizes that Ukraine is not a "failed" state, but a fully functioning one, which continues to provide basic services even amidst war. "I was amazed that, despite the destruction, medical facilities located quite close to the front line are functioning, as are markets, shops, and rural medics," he says. The UN's role is to support the state and local authorities where their capacity is lacking.
© WFP/S. Mahmud
The courage of Ukrainians
Speaking of personal experiences, the UN Resident Coordinator recalls stories that particularly struck him during his travels across the country. In Kharkiv, he spent half a day underground in a shelter, talking with students, while nearby rockets struck a kindergarten three times. Later, at the site of the attack, he met a humanitarian worker who had taken the children to the kindergarten that morning, then picked them up after the shelling—and three hours later returned to help clear the rubble. In Kherson, where, according to the local governor, there hasn't been a single day without shelling in 2025, above ground are empty streets and ruined buildings, while below ground lies a modern maternity ward built with EU support: "Above is war, below is the birth of new life."
In Mykolaiv, an elderly man proudly showed off his renovated house and garden after the de-occupation, but he couldn't hold back his tears as he remembered his brother, who died in 2022. "Joy and sorrow are side by side," the UN News Service source added.
The role of the UN
A separate topic is the UN's role in monitoring and documenting violations of international law. Schmale recalls that the Organization's leadership, including the Secretary-General, has clearly and repeatedly stated that this war violates the UN Charter and the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The UN, he says, can be proud of "standing on the right side of history" and of continuing to "stay and help"—approximately 3,000 UN staff and over 400 partner NGOs, most of which are Ukrainian, work in the country.
At the end of the interview, Matthias Schmale answered a question from the News Service about UN statements following the latest attacks: calls to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians are repeatedly heard.
Shmale is convinced that for Ukrainians, these words are far from a formality. "I take it as an important signal that we are being monitored," he says. "When I don't make a statement after a major strike, they ask me directly: 'Why didn't you say anything?'" For Ukrainians, he emphasizes, it's important that the UN not only delivers aid but also "records what's happening, becomes a witness."
This role is reinforced by a team of approximately 70 human rights monitors. Their job is to document potential violations and crimes to ensure future accountability. "We are valued not only for our practical assistance—the support we've spoken about—but also for making our voices heard and helping document events. This is important," says the Coordinator.
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