ICRC equated strikes on Ukrainian energy with attacks on Russia. The Foreign Ministry called the statement “shameful”

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a statement saying that strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia are “prohibited” because they cause “disproportionate harm” to the civilian population “in Kyiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Belgorod and other regions”.

ICRC published a corresponding post in X.

It noted that recent strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia "have left millions of people without electricity, water, and heating or with limited access to them in freezing conditions in Kyiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Belgorod, and other regions".

“Attacks that cause disproportionate harm to civilians, including by depriving them of access to basic services such as electricity and heating, which are now essential for survival, are prohibited,” said Ariana Bauer, the ICRC Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha criticized the statement, calling it shameful.

He emphasized that "establishing a false moral equality" between an aggressor and a country defending itself is unacceptable.

According to Sybiha, Ukraine, unlike Russia, acts within the framework of international humanitarian law, as well as its right to self-defense.

“It is not surprising that the reputation of the ICRC is in crisis as a result of such statements that justify Russian crimes and further undermine the credibility of the organization, especially given its long-standing failure to provide systematic access to Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians illegally detained by Russia,” the minister’s post says.

He also stated that the head of the ICRC delegation in Ukraine would be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide an explanation.

"I also invite the people who wrote and approved this statement to leave their warm offices, come to Ukraine, and spend a day in a frozen home. Perhaps they will regain their sense of reality," Sybiha emphasized.

• Russia regularly carries out massive strikes on Ukraine, using hundreds of drones and missiles. According to SBU, since the beginning of this heating season, Russia has carried out 256 air attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and heating systems.
• The Ministry of Energy also notes that since the beginning of 2025, the Russians have attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities 4 500 times, launching almost 1 800 missiles and 50 000 drones. As a result of the Russian attacks and severe frosts, Kyiv has been experiencing large-scale problems with electricity, heating and water supply for several days.
• On the night of January 7, Ukrainian troops attacked the “Oskolnaftopostach” oil depot near the settlement of Kotel in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation. The Russians use the facility to supply their troops with fuel.
• The Washington Post reported that as a result of the strikes, 600 000 Belgorod residents were left without electricity and 200 000 without water.

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