The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that Russian authorities committed war crimes by intentionally directing attacks against civilian facilities. As strikes on power plants intensified again, investigators emphasized that commanders knew the targeted heating facilities were indispensable to civilians during winter. Russian authorities had also publicly discussed further attacks and plans to conduct them.
Last winter, temperatures in Ukraine dropped to approximately 6 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Older residents faced particular hardship: some remained without heating, electricity, water, medicine, or access to essential services. Those unable to manage stairs and fearful of elevators could not reach shelter during air raid alerts. The panel drew on testimony from 255 people across nine Ukrainian regions, as well as officials, doctors, and nongovernmental organizations.
The commission separately cited compelling evidence that Russian authorities recruited men trafficked from 29 countries, violating international human rights law. Working with agents in different countries, recruiters used deception and coercion; shortly after arrival, men were forced to sign Russian-language Defense Ministry contracts. Deployed to frontline positions and dangerous assignments, many were killed or disappeared, while others surrendered or were captured and became prisoners of war. Investigators called for all trafficked recruits to be discharged.
The panel also examined Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, but Russian authorities denied access and left information requests unanswered, preventing an assessment of the effects inside Russia. Established by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2022, the commission investigates alleged human rights abuses, violations of international humanitarian law, and related crimes connected to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
