De Croo says there is no justification for Russia's "very systematic" targeting of Ukraine's civilian infrastructure

Ukraine is facing its “toughest winter” since Russia’s full-scale invasion, with a senior UN official warning that sustained attacks on energy infrastructure could push parts of the country towards humanitarian catastrophe.

UN sounds alarm over race against the clock

Alexander De Croo, head of the UN Development Programme and a former Belgian prime minister, said Ukraine was entering winter from an already weakened position. He warned there was now a “race against the clock” to repair damaged power infrastructure before temperatures plunge.

De Croo accused Russia of systematically targeting energy and civilian infrastructure, including transmission lines and other critical facilities. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny deliberately targeting civilians, while Ukraine continues to strike facilities deep inside Russia.

Power cuts could cripple heating and water

The UN fears the worst-case scenario could see severe damage to electricity supplies disrupt heating, water and sewage systems. With Ukrainian winter temperatures capable of falling to -20C, De Croo said prolonged outages could create conditions approaching a humanitarian catastrophe.

His warning follows a series of deadly attacks. Ukrainian officials said five people were killed and 67 wounded when a Russian drone struck a shopping mall in Pavlohrad, while earlier strikes on shopping centres in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy killed two people and injured 28.

Repairs are happening under constant attack

The UN Development Programme is helping rebuild energy infrastructure damaged during previous attacks and establish decentralised power plants designed to be less vulnerable to strikes.

But the work is increasingly dangerous. Engineers are attempting to restore critical facilities while air-raid alerts repeatedly force them to stop, knowing the sites they are repairing may themselves remain targets.

Fresh strikes deepen fears before winter

Russia and Ukraine have intensified aerial attacks in recent months, including Russia’s use of faster jet-powered drones that are harder to intercept.

De Croo said completing the repairs was “almost an impossible task”. Without sufficient power and functioning infrastructure, he warned, the coming winter could bring “quite some human suffering” to millions of Ukrainians.

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Vadym Skibitskyi

Ukraine has warned of a looming escalation in Russia’s ballistic missile campaign, with Moscow’s defence industry expected to produce at least 100 ballistic missiles in September alone. Kyiv says it needs urgent action on four fronts to prevent Russia overwhelming its defences.

Russia is preparing a fresh missile wave

Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, said Russian production plans include Iskander missiles and S-400 systems adapted for ballistic attacks.

The warning comes as Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities remain under sustained missile pressure. Russian strikes have hit warehouses, businesses and critical infrastructure, while Ukrainian intelligence says Moscow is developing missiles capable of reaching western regions of the country.

Ukraine wants more Patriot interceptors

The first priority is strengthening air defences. Skibitskyi said Ukraine knows how many Patriot systems its partners can provide and urgently needs PAC-3 interceptors, which are among the few weapons capable of countering ballistic missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine requires between 100 and 120 Patriot missiles every month to maintain protection against Russian ballistic attacks. The EU has agreed to purchase a batch of Patriot missiles using a €90 billion loan.

Kyiv wants Russia’s launchers hunted down

Ukraine also plans to strike the missile threat before launch. Skibitskyi said Russian forces are deploying between 17 and 19 launchers every day in areas including the Kursk and Voronezh regions near Ukraine’s border.

Kyiv says these launch positions and staging areas must become targets, while deep strikes against Russian defence factories could disrupt missile production itself. Ukrainian intelligence claims to know the enterprises and companies involved in manufacturing the weapons.

Sanctions are another battlefield

The fourth element is tightening sanctions on Western technology reaching Russia. Skibitskyi said restrictions are already disrupting access to navigation systems and electronic components, but argued that supply chains must be cut further.

The stakes are rising rapidly. If Russia’s missile output reaches the levels forecast by Ukrainian intelligence, Kyiv faces a race to secure enough interceptors while simultaneously attacking the factories and launchers producing the threat.

Defense Intelligence names four steps to protect Ukraine from Russian ballistic missiles