UN inquiry finds crimes against humanity in attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid

A United Nations-mandated commission said October 26 that Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine attributed the suffering to deliberate attacks on civilian objects and a state policy. These are the commission’s findings, not a criminal court verdict. Commission announcement.

The commission said it drew on accounts from 255 people in nine Ukrainian regions, alongside officials, doctors and nongovernmental organizations. Its inquiry emphasized winter 2025–2026 and the cumulative effects since autumn 2022. It described prolonged losses of essential services and particular risks for older people and those dependent on powered medical devices.

Russia rejected the findings. CNN reporter Ivana Kottasová reported that Russia’s U.N. mission disputed the commission’s mandate and alleged its evidence was falsified. That is Moscow’s response, not an established explanation for the findings. CNN said it also sought Kremlin comment. CNN’s original report, syndicated by ABC17.

The commission also examined Ukrainian energy strikes but said Russia denied the access and information needed to investigate their effects further.

At the commission’s press briefing, officials described evidence preservation and possible use by accountability bodies as further steps; the inquiry and the International Criminal Court operate separately. PartialMedia reviewed the U.N.’s automatically produced English transcript, which warns that it is not an official record, and the written announcement. The full report PDF was inaccessible during this review; this article reports the published findings and response, rather than an independent audit of the underlying evidence. Briefing transcript.

Editorial Opinion

Hospitals and apartment blocks do not become abstractions because a war is fought through power lines. Keeping people warm and medical equipment running deserves practical attention alongside the legal arguments. Repair capacity, emergency supplies and accountability can proceed together.

Moscow’s denial and the commission’s conclusions remain in direct conflict. The way to assess that conflict is through disclosed evidence and rigorous review, not by counting how many outlets repeat either side. The access restriction matters, as does the distinction between an inquiry’s conclusion and a court’s judgment. Neither should be edited away to make a cleaner slogan.

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