Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 31, 2025 Peace and security
Ongoing attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure are exacerbating the suffering of the population and could lead to a large-scale humanitarian crisis with the onset of cold weather, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale warned today.
"We are very concerned about people living in high-rise buildings in cities along the front line – the situation could develop into a major crisis," Schmale told reporters in Geneva on Friday.
Massive attacks
On the eve of Russia dealt massive blows At critical energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. According to Ukrainian authorities, 705 munitions were fired in total—one of the largest attacks since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Humanitarian organizations, faced with a shortage of funds, "will not be able to respond to a serious crisis within a crisis" if people in frontline cities like Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, or Dnipro in multi-story buildings "are left without electricity and clean water for several days in a row" during the winter, Shmale explained.
"The destruction of energy infrastructure at the onset of winter directly impacts the civilian population and constitutes a form of terror," the UN representative emphasized. He added that the constant shelling throughout the country creates a sense of widespread insecurity, and the mental health consequences are becoming increasingly severe.
Shmale noted that warfare is "becoming increasingly technological—a drone war." Drones accounted for a third of all documented civilian deaths or injuries in 2025. Overall, the number of civilian casualties increased by 30 percent compared to last year.
Attacks on hospitals and educational institutions
Among those killed in the attack yesterday was a seven-year-old girl from the Vinnytsia region. Earlier this week, a children's hospital in Kherson sustained serious damage, injuring medical workers and a child. According to the World Health Organization, 364 attacks affecting healthcare facilities in Ukraine were recorded from January to October 2025.
Shmale shared his personal impressions of a visit to a kindergarten in Kharkiv that was hit by three missiles: "As a parent, I imagine taking my children to kindergarten in the morning, and a couple of hours later receiving a call asking me to pick up my frightened children, who had survived three missile strikes."
He stressed that “the sense of security, especially for children and vulnerable groups, is constantly being violated.”
The UN coordinator also expressed concern about the situation in the territories of Ukraine under Russian occupation, noting that the danger for approximately one million people is growing daily. According to Shmale, they face "violations of their fundamental rights, including the right to citizenship": residents of these territories face deportation or arrest if they do not obtain Russian documents.
Funding shortfall
Shmale warned that humanitarian aid operations for Ukrainians are hampered by a serious shortage of funds. "In 2022, we had over $4 billion, in 2023 – $2.6 billion, and last year, despite everything happening in the world, $2.2 billion. This year, we've received only $1.1 billion – half as much as last year, and there are only two months left in the year," he said.
"We are already seeing how funding cuts are reducing our ability to help the most vulnerable," the UN representative noted, calling on the international community "not to forget Ukraine."
He said humanitarian workers on the ground felt the conflict was increasingly becoming a protracted war.
"We've lived through periods of cautious optimism, when it seemed like it might all be over… But now, those of us here don't feel it at all," Shmale concluded.
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