Ukraine could face its most grueling winter since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 due to systematic and expanding aerial bombardments targeting civilian and energy infrastructure, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Alexander De Croo warned in an interview with the BBC. Speaking to the broadcaster, De Croo said Ukraine is entering the cold season from a “very weak position” as Russian strikes continue to pound the power grid, fuel distribution networks, and commercial centers across the country.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “This includes gas stations, shopping malls, and business centers, but above all, energy infrastructure, transmission lines, and similar assets. There is absolutely no justification for this,” De Croo stated, emphasizing that the UN remains deeply concerned about the potential humanitarian consequences as temperatures drop. De Croo cautioned that extensive destruction of heating plants, electricity networks, and municipal utilities could disrupt water supply, heating systems, and sewage networks in sub-zero weather. He noted that if temperatures drop toward -20 degrees Celsius, the compounding damage to municipal life-support systems would create conditions bordering on a humanitarian catastrophe. The UN official described current recovery efforts as an urgent “race against time” to repair battered power plants and distribution substations before freezing weather sets in.