UN panel: Russian attacks on Ukraine energy are crimes against humanity

Attacks on energy infrastructure

The UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine on Monday accused Russia of committing crimes against humanity through sustained attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, presenting evidence that the strikes were carried out with intent to deprive civilians of essential services.

The panel — established by the UN Human Rights Council following Moscow's 2022 invasion — noted an increasing "frequency, intensity and geographic range" of attacks targeting electricity and heating facilities. "The evidence collected shows Russia's actions were carried out with intent and pursuant to a state policy to deprive the civilian population of electricity and other essential energy-dependent services and cause suffering," the panel said. During last winter, millions faced lengthy outages of heating, electricity, water, and gas, forcing them to cope with intolerable living conditions.

Trafficking of foreign fighters

The commission also found "compelling evidence" that Russian authorities trafficked men from 29 countries to fight in the war. "The human trafficking was done through deception and coercion, in coordination with agents or agencies operating in different countries or geographic regions," the panel stated. Once transported to Russia, the victims were coerced into signing military contracts and deployed to frontline positions.

"Many have been killed or have gone missing, others have surrendered or were captured by the Ukrainian armed forces, thereby acquiring the status of prisoners of war," the panel said, urging Moscow to discharge all trafficked personnel. The experts noted they had sought to examine Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure but were denied access by Moscow.