The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Ukraine will be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. This follows the ICRC’s statements regarding “strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia,” which were released by the organization.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Response from the Ukrainian Side to the ICRC Statement
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha publicly criticized the ICRC statement on his social media, calling it “shameful.” According to him, the ICRC has made a “false moral equivalence between the aggressor and the country defending itself,” which is absolutely unacceptable. Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine operates in accordance with international humanitarian law and exercises its legitimate right to self-defense. He also noted that such statements discredit the ICRC and undermine trust in the organization, as they “whitewash Russian war crimes.”
“The false moral equivalence between the aggressor and the country defending itself is unacceptable. Unlike Russia, Ukraine operates within the framework of international humanitarian law and our inherent right to self-defense. It is no surprise that the ICRC’s reputation is in crisis due to such statements that whitewash Russian war crimes and further undermine trust in the organization, especially considering its long-standing inability to ensure systematic access to Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians unlawfully held by Russia.”
Context of Energy Attacks and Situation in the Regions
The ICRC statement noted that “recent strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia have left millions of people nearly without electricity, water, and heating amid sub-zero temperatures in Kyiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Belgorod, and other areas.” Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has consistently attacked Ukraine’s energy facilities. The intensity of the shelling has particularly increased since the autumn of 2025.
The Security Service of Ukraine classifies the strikes by Russia on the country’s energy infrastructure as crimes against humanity. The SBU reported that since the start of this heating season, there have been 256 air attacks by Russia on energy facilities and heating systems in Ukraine.
The situation with energy supply remains tense, especially in Kyiv. Following a massive Russian shelling on January 9, emergency power outages continue in the capital. The Mayor of Kyiv noted that this attack was the most serious for the city’s critical infrastructure in the past four years.
Meanwhile, in Russia’s Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov urged residents to be prepared for evacuation in case of a complicated emergency situation due to disruptions in heat and electricity supply. The energy crisis in the region unfolded after strikes on two thermal power plants and a substation on the night of January 9.