The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine welcomes the presentation of the 44th periodic report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the human rights situation in Ukraine and attacks on its energy infrastructure, prepared by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). We express our gratitude to the Mission for its consistent and professional work in documenting violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law committed by the Russian Federation in the course of its ongoing armed aggression against Ukraine.

Of particular significance are the report’s findings concerning Russia’s systematic and large-scale attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. OHCHR clearly concludes that the nature, scale and geographical scope of these strikes indicate that they are aimed not at achieving specific military objectives, but at disabling Ukraine’s energy system as a whole. Such actions constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law and have devastating consequences for millions of civilians.

The report demonstrates that Russian attacks against energy, transport and port infrastructure directly deprive Ukrainians of access to housing, electricity, water, healthcare and education. These findings are based not only on testimonies from victims, but also on direct observations by HRMMU personnel, further underscoring the importance of the Mission’s continued presence in Ukraine.

OHCHR records an alarming and sustained increase in civilian casualties. During the reporting period, Russia’s aggression killed and injured significantly more civilians than during any comparable period since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, except in 2022. This is a serious indication of the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation.

The Ministry is also deeply concerned by the grave violations of international humanitarian law committed by Russia against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians unlawfully detained by the Russian Federation. The report documents a further increase in summary executions of Ukrainian service members, deaths of Ukrainian prisoners of war in detention, as well as the systematic use of torture and ill-treatment against virtually all Ukrainian captives.

Equally alarming are the findings concerning ongoing systemic human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. OHCHR documents forced mobilisation, persecution for pro-Ukrainian views, suppression of freedom of expression, and the deliberate militarisation of Ukrainian children through imposed military-patriotic education and their involvement in Russian paramilitary youth organisations. These actions constitute further evidence of Russia’s policy of forcibly integrating the occupied territories and erasing Ukrainian identity.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasises that the findings of the OHCHR report once again confirm the systematic nature of Russia’s violations of international law and provide further evidence for holding the aggressor state accountable.

We call on the international community to continue strengthening political, diplomatic and sanctions pressure on Russia, enhance support for Ukraine in protecting its civilian population and critical infrastructure, facilitate the release of all unlawfully detained Ukrainian citizens, and ensure accountability for war crimes and other serious violations of international law committed by the Russian Federation.