Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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December 12, 2025 Peace and security
Russia's intensified attacks on Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure puts civilians at serious risk as winter approaches, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said today in its monthly bulletin.
The mission's experts also noted the increased use of long-range weapons and a high number of civilian casualties. At least 226 civilians were killed and 952 wounded across Ukraine in November, with more than half of all deaths and injuries attributed to the use of powerful long-range missiles and drones by Russian forces in densely populated urban areas. Hundreds of drones and missiles were often used during nighttime attacks.
“The Russian Federation’s renewed campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is seriously disrupting the delivery of essential services on which civilians depend,” said Danielle Bell, Head of the HRMMU.
"Millions of families are now forced to live for long periods without electricity, heat and water, and these difficulties are exacerbated as the days get shorter and temperatures drop," she added.
In November, according to the mission, the Russian Federation carried out five large-scale, combined attacks on energy infrastructure. The attacks caused widespread power outages in most regions, lasting over 36 hours in some areas. Heating and water supplies were also disrupted in several locations.
Similar attacks continued in December. For example, on December 4, several long-range drones struck a substation in Odessa, leaving the city without power for several days.
Local residents told HRMMU staff that their neighbors, including elderly and disabled people, were unable to leave their apartments for several days during the power outages due to the outage of their elevators. Even after power was restored, the elevators remained unsafe due to power surges. Volunteers brought food and water to those who were unable to move. Many were forced to store food on their balconies because their refrigerators were not working.
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Some buildings had no heating, as it relied on electricity. Temperatures in apartments where windows had been blown out were plummeting. One resident said, "It's 12 degrees Celsius in my apartment now, and it's dark because the windows were boarded up after the attack."
Following emergency power outages, most regions of Ukraine are experiencing long-term scheduled power outages, which currently last up to 16 hours a day.
A social worker in southern Ukraine told HRMMU staff about the serious difficulties her clients face, describing in particular the situation of an 87-year-old woman: "It's extremely difficult for her to survive now, as she's completely dependent on power outages. When the power comes on for a few hours during the day, she must make the most of this time to cook, eat hot food and stay warm, stock up on running water, do laundry, and do housework. For an elderly person living alone, this is impossible."
The increase in long-range strikes by the Russian Federation is also the primary cause of the rising civilian casualties documented by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2025. For example, between January and November 2024, drone and long-range missile strikes killed 509 civilians and injured 2,462. During the same period in 2025, civilian deaths from long-range weapons increased by 27 percent to 645, while the number of injured increased by 68 percent to 4,123.
Russia's combined attack on Ternopil on November 19, using missiles and long-range drones, killed at least 38 civilians, including 18 women, 12 men, four girls, and four boys, and wounded 99 others, including 17 children. This is the highest civilian casualty toll recorded in a single incident since the October 2023 strike on a café in the village of Groza in the Kharkiv region, where a funeral service was taking place.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.