KYIV, 30 October 2025 – During the night of 29–30 October, the Russian armed forces conducted another large-scale combined attack against multiple regions of Ukraine, reportedly targeting critical energy infrastructure as the country faces its fourth winter of war, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said today.
Last night’s attack marked the third large-scale combined strike in October targeting energy infrastructure, which damaged civilian facilities and led to emergency power cuts across multiple regions of the country.
Preliminary reports indicate that at least 2 civilians were killed and 23 injured, including 6 children, in Zaporizhzhia, which was reportedly hit by over 8 ballistic missiles and 20 Shahed drones. Civilian casualties were also reported in Kyiv and Vinnytsia regions, with a 7-year-old girl killed and five civilians injured.
The attack was one of the largest on Ukraine since February 2022, with 705 munitions reportedly deployed. Explosions occurred in multiple regions, including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Vinnytsia.
“If attacks of this scale and frequency continue, there is a significant risk of dangerous consequences for civilians this winter, including prolonged disruptions to heating, electricity, and water supplies,” said Danielle Bell, Head of the HRMMU. “These disruptions would disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including older persons, persons with disabilities, and families with young children, who are least able to cope with the loss of essential services in harsh winter conditions.”
Yesterday, Bell visited Chernihiv region to meet with regional authorities and civil society representatives to discuss the situation in the area, where conditions remain difficult amid ongoing attacks on critical infrastructure on the eve of winter.
Despite the persistent strikes, local authorities and energy workers across Ukraine are making significant efforts to restore damaged infrastructure, often working under hazardous conditions. In 2025, at least 11 energy workers have been killed or injured while performing their duties to maintain essential services for the civilian population.
At the same time, the Ukrainian armed forces reportedly responded to Russian long-range attacks with its own drone and missile strikes, impacting Russian energy and industrial facilities, but the impact on civilians of these reported attacks cannot be independently verified by HRMMU.
“With winter approaching, strikes on energy infrastructure increase the risk of prolonged disruptions to heating, electricity, and other essential services in Ukraine. This will have significant implications for civilians across the country, especially in regions already facing challenges to critical infrastructure,” said Bell.
