Life for civilians in Ukraine, “a fight for survival.” UN warning ahead of the fourth winter of war

The United Nations warned on Friday that civilian life on the frontline in Ukraine is becoming a fight for survival, with attacks on energy infrastructure threatening to trigger a major crisis this winter.

Matthias Schmale, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, said that as the fourth winter approaches since the start of the war, civilians are increasingly affected.

The official noted that the number of civilian casualties increased by 30% in 2025 compared to 2024.

A third of the civilian deaths or injuries this year have been caused by drone strikes.

“This is increasingly a technological war: a war of drones,” he told reporters in Geneva.

Schmale said the intensification of attacks in various areas on the front line has caused more than 57,000 evacuees to seek help in transit locations, and markets located near the front line are “increasingly dysfunctional.”

“Besides the terror of war, the sirens, the attacks, it's also increasingly a fight for survival,” with limited access to basic goods, explained Matthias Schmale.

“It could turn into a major crisis”

Schmale expressed concern about the plight of people bracing for another winter in frontline cities, warning they could be trapped in high-rise buildings without water and electricity due to Russian attacks targeting civilian infrastructure.

“The destruction of power generation and distribution capacity with the onset of winter has a clear impact on the civilian population and is a form of terror,” he said.

If the pace of repairs doesn't keep up with the pace of destruction, “this could turn into a major crisis,” Schmale warned.

The UN Winter Plan, which aims to provide aid to more than 1.7 million people, including heating and financial assistance to support families in the cold months, is only 50% funded.

US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war have produced no progress, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has rejected multiple calls for a ceasefire.

“Our basic planning assumption for 2026 is that the war continues,” Schmale said.

“Right now, on the ground, it doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon,” the UN official added.

Schmale said he was “amazed by people's resilience.” “Let's not romanticize the resistance,” was his warning, as civilians grow increasingly weary of the conflict.

“The mental health impact of this war is growing,” he said, fearing that Ukraine will have to “deal with this for at least a generation, if not more.”