Life for civilians on the frontline in Ukraine is beginning to turn into a struggle for survival, with attacks on energy infrastructure potentially triggering a large-scale crisis this winter. Matthias Schmale, the humanitarian aid coordinator of the United Nations (UN) in Ukraine, drew attention to this on Friday, TASR reports, according to a report by the AFP agency.
This year, the number of victims has increased by 30 percent compared to the previous year. A third of all civilian deaths and injuries recorded in 2025 were caused by drone strikes, he warned.
The drone war
“It’s increasingly a technology war, a drone war,” Schmale told reporters. More intense attacks on areas near the front led to the fact that more than 57,000 evacuees sought help in transit centers.
“In addition to the horrors of war, sirens and attacks, it is increasingly a struggle for survival,” Schmale added, noting that the availability of basic goods is limited.
He also expressed concern for residents of frontline cities bracing for another winter, warning they could be stuck in high-rise buildings without water or electricity as a result of Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure. He added that the destruction of energy infrastructure is a form of terror and, if the pace of repairs is not sufficient, “it could lead to a large-scale crisis.” “With the resources we have, it is impossible for us to be able to respond to a large-scale crisis in the midst of a crisis that is already underway,” he said.
Trump’s efforts led nowhere
Since US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war have so far not led to any progress, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly rejected calls for a cease-fire, the UN is working with the basic assumption that the war will continue into 2026.
Schmale expressed surprise at how people in Ukraine are resisting the situation, but warned that fatigue from the conflict is growing. According to him, the psychological consequences of this war are intensifying and he expressed concern that Ukraine will “come to terms with them for at least one, if not more, generations”, AFP quotes.
