Pentagon says Moscow's deliberate targeting of Ukrainian energy grids is a war crime
CNBCNov 13, 2022
Ukrainian officials reported that blasts were recorded at energy infrastructure facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv on Saturday morning. In Kyiv, Reuters reported that air-raid sirens came following the blasts, which it said was highly unusual.
Lt. Gen. Oleksandr Pavliuk, Ukraine's deputy of its ground forces, said the attack on Kyiv didn't come from the air. "The explosions are unrelated to threat from the air, the work of air defense systems, or any other military activity," he said. "An alarm would have been sounded if there was a threat. The cause of the explosions will be reported separately."
Russia's deliberate targeting of energy infrastructure — unnecessarily increasing the suffering of civilians — amounts to war crimes. This continuing Russian barbarity must be confronted.
Attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure are a direct consequence of the failure of the country's leadership to meaningfully engage in peace talks and their belief they can defeat Russia on the battlefield. These attacks will stop once a more sober position is reached.
There is a 3% chance that Dnipro will be under Russian control by June 1, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.