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UN brief: Ukraine war marks third year; power-plant damage leaves thousands without heat
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Summary
UN political and humanitarian officials marked the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, reported damage to a Mykolaiv thermal power plant that left an estimated 100,000 people without heating, and said humanitarian partners have supported more than 900,000 people under the 2024–25 winter response plan.
The United Nations warned that continuing attacks in Ukraine have damaged civilian infrastructure and left tens of thousands without heating as winter approaches, while political briefings recalled diplomatic efforts connected to the Minsk agreements.
The issue matters because damaged power and heating infrastructure during winter months can create immediate health and safety risks for civilians and complicate humanitarian responses.
Miroslav Yensha, assistant secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs for Europe and Central Asia and the Americas, briefed council members and noted that one week from now the UN will mark three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He said the anniversary and the 10th anniversary of a Security Council resolution tied to the Minsk agreements are opportunities to recall past diplomatic efforts and to reaffirm that any settlement must respect "the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine in line with the UN Charter, International Law and Resolutions of the General Assembly."
On the humanitarian front, UN colleagues reported attacks over the weekend that killed and injured civilians across Ukraine, with frontline communities in Dnipro, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia among the most affected. A thermal power plant in Mykolaiv was damaged, the briefing said, leaving an estimated 100,000 people without heating as temperatures fell below 0 degrees Celsius.
Humanitarian partners reported that about 2,760 residential buildings and nearly 70 schools and kindergartens, and 20 health facilities lost access to heating; partners are working to restore services. The briefing said that under the 2024–25 winter response plan, humanitarian efforts have supported more than 900,000 people.
Yensha encouraged dialogue among stakeholders and welcomed initiatives with the "full participation of Ukraine and the Russian Federation" that would reduce the impact of the war on civilians, the briefing said. The secretary-general has repeatedly emphasized that any settlement must conform with the UN Charter and international law.
The UN did not announce new diplomatic steps in the briefing; it said it is monitoring developments and continuing humanitarian assistance to affected communities.
