Ukraine is once again facing a grim winter as Russian forces intensify their campaign of drone and missile strikes, targeting both the country’s energy infrastructure and civilian populations. According to a monthly report released on November 12, 2025, by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the recent escalation has resulted in a sharp increase in civilian casualties and widespread outages that threaten to leave millions without heat, electricity, or water as temperatures begin to drop.
In a chilling assessment, the UN mission condemned what it described as an “increasingly intense” series of attacks by the Russian Federation, specifically highlighting three major strikes on October 10, 22, and 30. These attacks targeted critical energy infrastructure and triggered prolonged blackouts across most regions of Ukraine. The report noted that, “as civilians in Ukraine brace for another winter, the increasing number of attacks on energy infrastructure and the resulting power outages heighten risks for the population. Prolonged disruptions to heating, electricity or water supply create extremely difficult conditions, especially for older people, persons with disabilities, families with young children, and women who often bear the main responsibility for caregiving and meeting the basic needs of the family.”
The numbers tell a stark story. In October alone, at least 148 civilians were killed and another 929 injured as a direct result of the ongoing strikes, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission. Perhaps even more alarming, the cumulative number of civilian casualties from January through October 2025 has exceeded the comparable figures for the previous year by 27%. In fact, the total number of civilians killed and injured in just the first ten months of 2025 has already surpassed the entire toll for 2024.
The situation has only grown more dire in November. On the night of November 11 to 12, Russian forces unleashed a large-scale drone barrage, firing more than 120 attack drones at targets across Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that 121 drones, including Iranian-made Shaheds and Gerans, were launched from multiple directions, including occupied Crimea. By the morning of November 12, Ukrainian air defenses had managed to shoot down or jam about 90 of the drones, but at least 31 struck 19 locations nationwide, causing substantial damage and further power outages.
According to military sources cited by Russian state media, the Geran attack drones specifically targeted energy infrastructure and military bases in the Vinnytsia, Pavlograd, and Odessa regions. The strikes caused power outages across the Vinnytsia region, including the regional capital, and hit Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel quarters in Pavlograd, a key logistics hub for the embattled eastern front. Several powerful explosions were also heard in the Odessa region, where port facilities used for handling military cargo came under attack.
The impact of these strikes is felt not just in the loss of vital infrastructure, but also in the shifting front lines. Reports indicate that, by November 12, several dozen settlements in the Pokrovsky District had come under Russian control, underscoring the ongoing volatility and the strategic aims behind the attacks on Ukraine’s logistical and energy networks.
The human cost of these attacks remains painfully clear. In Kharkiv, for example, three kamikaze drones slammed into the Kholodnohirskyi district around 9 a.m. on November 12, damaging a civilian industrial facility and several private homes. Mayor Ihor Terekhov described the scene: the first strike occurred at 9:18 a.m., followed by two more in quick succession. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed that three civilians were injured in the attack—a 68-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman were hospitalized, and a 77-year-old woman suffered minor wounds. The explosions sparked fires in residential areas, and emergency crews rushed to clear debris and search for more victims.
These attacks are part of a broader campaign that Ukrainian authorities and international organizations have described as deliberate attempts to cripple the country’s energy system and freeze the population into submission. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, documented recurring shelling indicates the use of a wide range of weapons, including strike drones, missiles, and artillery rocket systems. Despite mounting evidence, Russian officials continue to deny that civilian infrastructure is being deliberately targeted. Ukrainian authorities, however, have labeled these actions as war crimes and have emphasized the deliberate nature of the strikes.
The timing of the attacks could hardly be more critical. With winter fast approaching, the destruction of power substations and distribution nodes threatens to plunge Ukrainian cities into darkness and cold. The UN report warns that “prolonged disruptions to heating, electricity or water supply create extremely difficult conditions,” especially for society’s most vulnerable—older people, those with disabilities, families with young children, and women who often shoulder the burden of caregiving.
In addition to the immediate humanitarian crisis, the attacks on energy infrastructure have far-reaching implications for Ukraine’s ability to sustain its defense and keep essential services running. Military analysts point out that strikes on logistical hubs like Pavlograd are designed not just to sow chaos, but to undermine Ukraine’s capacity to supply and reinforce its troops on the front lines. The attacks on port facilities in Odessa similarly threaten Ukraine’s ability to receive military and humanitarian aid.
International reaction to the escalating violence has been swift, with the UN and other organizations issuing strong condemnations and calling for accountability. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission’s November report is particularly blunt in its assessment, stating that the cumulative civilian toll and the targeting of energy infrastructure represent a dangerous escalation in the conflict. “The increasing number of attacks on energy infrastructure and the resulting power outages heighten risks for the population,” the report states, underscoring the urgent need for measures to protect civilians and restore critical services.
For Ukrainians, the prospect of another winter under siege is daunting. Many are bracing for prolonged outages and the possibility of being cut off from heat, light, and water for days or even weeks at a time. Emergency crews and volunteers are working around the clock to repair damaged infrastructure and provide support to those most at risk, but the scale of the challenge is immense.
As the conflict grinds on, the resilience of the Ukrainian people is once again being tested. The coming months will likely bring further hardship, but also continued determination to endure and resist. The world watches as Ukraine faces yet another winter in the shadow of war, its cities battered but unbowed.
