Russian attacks on Ukraine power grid probably violate humanitarian law: UN
Al Jazeera
The UN monitoring body says the air attacks posed risks to Ukraine’s public health, education and wider economy.
Russian air strikes on Ukraine’s electricity generation, transmission and distribution facilities probably violate international humanitarian law, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
The report published on Thursday focused on nine waves of attacks between March and August this year.
HRMMU said it had visited seven power plants that were damaged or destroyed by attacks, as well as 28 communities affected by the strikes.
“There are reasonable grounds to believe that multiple aspects of the military campaign to damage or destroy Ukraine’s civilian electricity and heat-producing and transmission infrastructure have violated foundational principles of international humanitarian law,” the report said.
The first big wave of strikes hit in 2022, several months after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February that year.
