Russia faces UN panel accusations of crimes against humanity over Ukraine strikes

Russian strikes on vital Ukrainian power and heating networks amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to an independent United Nations inquiry.

In a report submitted to the UN General Assembly, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that Moscow systematically attacked civilian infrastructure as part of an official policy to inflict suffering by cutting off electricity, heating, and water. Investigators found that commanders knowingly hit indispensable heating facilities, leaving millions of residents in freezing darkness as temperatures plunged during the winter months.

Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, welcomed the findings, stating that the document reflects how Moscow has turned severe cold and darkness into weapons of war. Officials in Kyiv noted that intense drone and missile barrages had knocked out up to 70 percent of thermal power generation capacity in the hardest-hit regions, with severe weather dropping temperatures to minus 30 degrees Celsius.

Healthcare workers informed the commission of treating numerous civilians suffering from frostbite and hypothermia inside unheated residences, with some cold-related fatalities recorded even within medical facilities.

Russia's permanent mission to the UN dismissed the report, saying it rejects the mandate of the Human Rights Council panel and accusing it of relying on falsified data supplied by Ukrainian authorities. The mission added that the council regularly ignores actions taken by Ukraine's armed forces.

The UN inquiry directly implicated high-ranking Russian officials, citing statements and directives from President Vladimir Putin regarding strikes on Ukrainian energy systems. The report also identified former defense minister Sergei Shoigu, current defense minister Andrey Belousov, and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov as responsible for organizing and overseeing the campaign. Putin, Shoigu, and Gerasimov are already subjects of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.

Beyond infrastructure strikes, the investigators accused Moscow of human trafficking in its military recruitment practices. The panel uncovered evidence that Russian authorities, working alongside recruitment networks, engaged in deceptive and coercive practices to enlist individuals from 29 nations across Africa, India, and Latin America. The commission stated that promised compensation was frequently withheld, travel documents were seized, and foreign recruits were dispatched to frontline combat without their informed consent. In contrast, the panel found foreign nationals joining Ukraine's armed forces did so knowingly.

The findings come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns of renewed bombardments ahead of the approaching winter, urging international allies to supply additional air defense systems to protect civilian hubs.