The drop in electricity consumption with the end of winter may be shifting Russian pressure to another vital point: water. Kiev fears that attacks on supply infrastructure will open a new humanitarian front, with a health risk and a direct impact on the lives of families
For months, Russia sought to leave Ukrainian cities in the dark. Now, with the end of the heating season and the drop in electricity consumption, Kiev fears that Moscow will shift part of the pressure to another essential system, water.
According to The Kyiv Independent, in an article written by journalist Anastasiia Verzun, the Ukrainian military intelligence services, HUR, admit that the choice of Russian targets is following this seasonal change. Less electricity to heat homes, more need for water in cities. And, in the middle, a population already tired from more than two years of war.
Ukrainian authorities warn that deliberate attacks on supply networks in populated areas may have an objective beyond material damage. The aim is to increase social tension, create fear, force displacement and fuel protests. Kiev recalls that international humanitarian law treats attacks against essential civilian infrastructure as war crimes.
Volodymyr Zelensky had already warned in early April. Water infrastructure, said the Ukrainian President, needs “maximum protection”.
The most recent signs reinforce the concern. On April 14, Russian forces hit the Pechenihy dam in the Kharkiv region with six glide bombs, according to local authorities. On the same day, in Zaporizhzhia, specialized equipment used to repair supply systems was damaged.
And the problem isn’t just a lack of clean water. It’s also in the sewers. Viktoriia Yakovlieva from the Ukrainian association of water and sanitation companies explained to the Kyiv Independent that an attack on the power system often almost automatically turns into an attack on the water supply. Without electricity, pumping stations stop. And, if wastewater stops circulating, the risk is no longer just domestic: it can become sanitary.
For families, the margin is short. In a house where there are children, two days without water can be enough to push everything to the limit: hygiene, clothes, kitchen, bathrooms, minimal routine. Yulia Solonko, a Kiev resident and mother of two who had previously been left without heating during the winter, admits to The Kyiv Independent that a prolonged supply failure could force her family to leave the city.
The sector arrives this summer already weakened. Assessments by the Ukrainian Government, World Bank, European Union and United Nations estimate billions of dollars in damage, losses and recovery needs in the areas of water and sanitation. The needs continued to grow in 2026. And the tariffs paid by families are not enough to cover the operating costs of companies.
In practice, the difference often lies with teams that continue to repair pipelines, pumps and treatment plants in affected areas or near the front. And that may be insufficient. Ukrainian officials say they are preparing engineering protections for critical facilities and backup solutions for major cities in case a water catchment is hit. But experts warn that resistance has a limit. There is a lack of money, parts, replacement equipment, more decentralized networks and less exhausted workers.
In Kiev, some residents are already counting what they have nearby. Sashko, a war veteran and resident of the Obolon neighborhood, summed up to the Kyiv Independent the uneven geography of an emergency: he could still wash in the Dnipro River. Other neighborhoods would be less fortunate.
