UN Inquiry: Russia Committed War Crimes by Attacking Ukraine's Energy Grid
A UN-backed investigation found intentional attacks on civilian infrastructure constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, leaving millions without power and heat.
Russia committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine by intentionally attacking energy infrastructure, leaving millions of people without electricity and heat in freezing temperatures, a United Nations-backed inquiry reported.
The independent commission of inquiry, authorized by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, also found evidence that Russia recruited men from 29 countries into its armed forces through deception or coercion to fight in Ukraine, a violation of international law.
The commission's report to the U.N. General Assembly’s human rights committee focused on the impact of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The electricity cuts have left millions of civilians suffering in frigid winter darkness, with the elderly unable to access elevators to reach shelters during missile and drone attacks, and hospital patients left without critical life-sustaining devices, the report stated.
Commission chair Erik Mose, speaking by video at a U.N. news conference, said the commission concluded that the attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure constituted war crimes because they were intentionally directed against civilian objects. He added that these attacks also amount to crimes against humanity for "inflicting great suffering to civilians." Mose noted that the intensifying attacks as winter approaches raise serious concerns about the threats posed to civilians.
The commission based its findings on the accounts of 255 Ukrainians who endured winter conditions in Kyiv and eight other regions in 2025-2026, as well as information from government officials, doctors, and civic organizations.
According to the report, Russian authorities have been openly recruiting foreigners into the army, offering perks such as accelerated Russian citizenship or making enlistment mandatory for certain foreigners seeking permanent residency in Russia. However, the report stated that recruits were often deceived or coerced. Agents operating in other countries, presenting themselves as legitimate government-endorsed businesses, arranged visas and sometimes traveled with the recruits. Upon arrival, the men were reportedly forced to sign documents in Russian with the Defense Ministry that they did not understand.
"The recruits were shocked to discover that they would be serving for the Russian armed forces," the report stated.
The commission investigated the recruitment of nationals from 48 countries and found evidence that men from 29 countries were recruited into Russia’s armed forces as a result of deception or coercion. The countries named are Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Botswana, Cameroon, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ghana, Honduras, India, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.
Russia's U.N. Mission stated that Russia does not recognize the commission's mandate and claimed its findings were based on "falsified data." Russia has consistently maintained that its forces are only striking military or military-related targets in Ukraine.