UN chief condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy system

United Nations | November 18, 2024

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the latest Russian drone and missile attack against the power grid and critical civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, his Spokesperson said on Sunday.

The large-scale strikes occurred overnight and reportedly caused severe damage, power outages and civilian casualties.

“Attacks on energy infrastructure will only increase the suffering of civilians with the looming winter weather,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a note to journalists.

“Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law.  Any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately,” he added.

The inaugural theme: Organised crime steals, corrupts and kills. It’s time we pull together to push back, underscores the urgency of collective action.

Grim milestone approaches

Tuesday will mark 1,000 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, reported that during this time, 12,000 people have been killed and civilian infrastructure has been decimated, with over 2,000 attacks on healthcare facilities and two million homes damaged, while 65 per cent of energy production capacity has been destroyed.

Speaking in Geneva on Friday, he said almost 40 per cent of the population need humanitarian assistance and one of the top concerns is for people living in high-rise buildings who face their third consecutive freezing winter because of “systematic attacks” on energy infrastructure.

The UN Security Council in New York is scheduled to hold a Ministerial-level briefing on Ukraine on Monday, the eve of the 1,000-day mark.

The original article appeared here.