UN Warns Ukraine Could Face Toughest Winter Since Start Of Full-Scale War

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Alexander De Croo, head of the UN development agency, said this in an interview with the BBC, Ukrinform reports.

According to him, Ukraine is entering the winter period "from a very weak base" due to Russia's "very systematic" targeting of civilian and energy infrastructure.

"This is petrol stations, it's shopping malls, it's business centers, but it's especially energy infrastructure, energy transmission lines, and so on. There is absolutely no justification for that," the UN official said.

He stressed that the UN is " very, very worried... about what this winter could become."

De Croo warned that extensive damage to energy and critical infrastructure could lead to disruptions in heating, water supply and sewage systems.

"With the temperatures that you would get here [winter temperatures in Ukraine can drop to -20C] that would lead to circumstances which would be really close to humanitarian catastrophe. [...] This winter is going to be the toughest one since the war," the UN official said.

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He said there was now a "race against the clock" to repair the power network before winter sets in and temperatures plummet. UNDP is helping Ukraine restore damaged infrastructure and develop more resilient and decentralized energy facilities that are less vulnerable to Russian attacks.

De Croo described restoring the energy system amid constant attacks as "almost an impossible task." He stressed that workers are forced to repair facilities during air raid alerts, and they know they are working at a site that is a target, while the threat of strikes means some work has to be suspended.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said earlier that Ukraine was significantly better prepared for Russian attacks this winter than it was a year ago.

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