Millions at risk of a blackout: UN calls on Russia to stop attacks on energy sector

Russia is intensifying strikes on Ukraine's energy sector, threatening the lives of millions ahead of winter. The UN is calling Moscow to immediately halt these attacks.

According to her, the consequences of Russian strikes on energy facilities are becoming more severe. In particular, during the period from 30 October to 2 November, damage to infrastructure left hundreds of thousands of households without electricity, sometimes for several days. It also caused disruptions to water supply and public transport. Gotoh emphasized that in the past weekend alone, attacks in eastern Ukraine left about 600 thousand citizens without power. The threat to nuclear facilities and the rising number of civilian casualties are additional concerns for the UN. Attacks on Ukrainian nuclear power plant substations, which threaten the safe operation of nuclear facilities, are of particular concern. At the same time, in September casualties among civilians in Ukraine rose sharply: at least 328 civilians were killed; 2 105 people were injured, an increase of 85% compared with September last year. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, a total of 17 960 civilians have been killed (including 874 a child), and at least 57 713 people have been injured. Call for a ceasefire The UN spokesperson stressed the need to achieve progress within the planned tripartite talks and urged the implementation of UN decisions. “The UN Secretary-General once again calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire as an important step toward a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter and relevant resolutions,” Gotoh said.

As a reminder, today, 9 November, due to new strikes by the aggressor country on Ukraine’s energy sector, power outages occurred in 12 regions. The most extensive damage was recorded in Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions.