Ukraine: Escalation of attacks across the country, Flash Update No. 4 (31 October 2022) – Ukraine

HIGHLIGHTS

• A new wave of missile attacks on urban centres this morning has, once again, left an unconfirmed number of civilians injured and caused large-scale disruption to electricity and water supplies. The attacks happened in the earlier hours of the morning, when people were commuting to work.

• This is the fifth time this month that we have seen a wave of attacks on energy infrastructure across Ukraine, which are leaving millions of people across the country without power and limited access to clean water as the pumps to supply water depend on electricity.

• Today’s attacks reportedly caused power outages in at least 10 of Ukraine’s 24 regions, causing trains to stop and leaving hospitals relying on generators to continue services in some locations, including Kharkiv.

• In the capital Kyiv, most people are without water at their homes and some 350,000 houses and businesses have no electricity, according to the Ukrainian authorities.

• In times of war, civilian infrastructure is protected under international humanitarian law. With the harsh winter in Ukraine approaching, it is particularly important to preserve energy and water supplies, which are also necessary to run the heating systems in most of the country.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

On the morning of 31 October, a new wave of missile attacks on electricity and heating stations across Ukraine caused large-scale water and electricity cuts, disrupting the services for millions of Ukrainians. This is the fifth time this month that a massive wave of attacks on energy infrastructure has been launched against Ukraine, hitting the country in the earlier hours of the day – when people were commuting to work – and leaving a still unconfirmed number of civilians injured.

Missile attacks occurred in at least 10 of Ukraine’s 24 oblasts, including central Cherkaska, Dnipropetrovska, Kirovohradska, Poltavska, Vinnytska, northern Kyivska, eastern Kharkivska, western Lvivska and south-eastern Zaporizka oblasts, according to the respective oblast administrations. Damages to critical infrastructure have been reported in the main cities of most of these regions, which led to power outages across the country. The interruption of power supplies caused trains to stop and left hospitals relying on generators to continue services in some locations, including Kharkiv.

In the capital Kyiv, which had a pre-war population of about 3 million, some, 350,000 houses and businesses have no electricity and 80 per cent of consumers are without water supplies as consequence of the attacks, according to the local authorities. In Vinnytska oblast, the debris of an intercepted missile damaged civilian facilities, with no casualties reported by the authorities.

The wave of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which started on 10 October, is leaving millions of people across the country not only without power, but also limited access to clean water as the pumps to supply water depend on electricity. The lack of water is particularly critical now during the harsh cold season, as it is necessary to run the heating systems in most of Ukraine’s homes.