UN report on Russian strikes: Ukraine energy attacks called a crime against humanity

A new UN report on Russian strikes says the bombing of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amounts to a crime against humanity. The finding came as Russia launched hundreds more drones and missiles across Ukraine.

Just Security summarised the report on Tuesday. Democracy Now said the UN commission also accuses Russia of war crimes. FTD found no Russian response in the reports reviewed.

What the UN report on Russian strikes says

The commission of inquiry concluded that repeated attacks on the energy system hurt civilians on a mass scale. Such strikes leave homes without heat, light and water in winter. Hospitals and shelters suffer too.

A crime against humanity is a legal category. It covers widespread or systematic attacks on civilians. The commission is not a court, so no one has been convicted. Its findings can feed future prosecutions.

The report landed the same day as new attacks. Democracy Now said Russia fired hundreds of drones and missiles across the country. Just Security reported that a strike hit Kyiv’s Southern Bridge and subway infrastructure.

Air defence delays

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has waited nearly a month for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to approve missile deliveries for air defence systems, Just Security reported. The delay bites as winter nears and the grid is a prime target.

Diplomacy continues in parallel. Finland’s Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre spoke with Vladimir Putin ahead of meetings in Abu Dhabi, then with Zelenskyy, the same briefing said.

There is one calmer front. Our report on the Oleshky ceasefire covers a limited truce for aid and evacuations. Just Security says only about 6,000 of the city’s 24,000 former residents remain, including 200 children.

The wider picture is bleak. Peace talks move slowly. Strikes continue. Civilians carry the cost.

What to watch

Watch for the UN General Assembly debate and any push for accountability. Watch also for a decision on the air defence missiles. Both will show how far Ukraine’s partners will go this winter.

Fact basis: Just Security, Early Edition, 27 October 2026; Democracy Now, Headlines, 27 October 2026.