Ukrainian civilians have been subjected to unimaginable pain ever since Russia launched its full-scale onslaught against Ukraine in February 2022. It began as a war effort but has escalated into a systematic assault on everyday life, with residences, hospitals, schools, and power stations under attack. Over the past two years, the attacks not only increased in quantity but also in precision and intensity, administering blackout after blackout and pushing millions to the edge of existence.
In 2025 and 2024, shelling escalated exponentially. Based on field reports, the shelling of civilian towns and infrastructure grew by over 30% in both these years. It was reported that over 1,600 civilians lost their lives in 2024 alone as the Russians used a mix of missiles, glide bombs, and Shahed drones to target cities like Kharkiv, Kherson, and Sumy. In Kharkiv, the breakdown of all the large thermal power plants has sent the city into darkness. With neither heat, electricity, nor clean water, survival from day to day is a battle.
The humanitarian toll is horrific. In April 2024 alone, more than 700 civilian casualties have been reported—129 of them fatalities. For many, there is no hope of escape. Elderly trapped in skyscrapers, children unable to attend school, and the disabled who are unable to receive medical attention are all caught in the middle. Humanitarian aid workers are placed in danger to deliver food, medicine, and relief supplies. Over 14 million Ukrainians are in immediate need today of simply being able to survive.
The deliberate targeting of energy infrastructure and civilian installations is a source of deep concern over violations of international law. The Geneva Conventions do not allow for attacks that cause disproportionate harm to civilians, especially if there is no apparent military target.
Whereas infrastructure like power plants may serve a dual purpose, the degree and scale of devastation, roughed out by Russian officials in the context of supposed retaliation, have led many to opine that these are not so much military missions, but collective punishment. The International Criminal Court has issued warrants of arrest, and war crimes have been predicted by legal professionals at large.
The environmental impact has been devastating. Refineries and oil depots in flames release harmful chemicals into the air. Chemicals and industrial runoff pollute the rivers. Agricultural lands are scorched by wildfires resulting from shelling. The destruction of major infrastructure like the Nova Kakhovka Dam has unleashed catastrophic floods that raze structures and pollute water supplies across entire regions.
Economically, it has been hit hard. A nation once renowned for its grain and energy exports has seen its lifelines—seaports, rail lines, and energy infrastructure—repeatedly attacked. Food exports have plummeted, driving global price hikes. Out in the fields, ravaged irrigation systems and round-the-clock power blackouts now imperil crops to come. The energy industry alone lost billions. Overall damage to infrastructure is estimated at over $147 billion—and it continues to climb.
Western assistance has been essential to keeping Ukraine afloat. The United States, its NATO allies, and the European Union have sent air defense systems, economic aid, and backup power equipment. All this assistance, however, has not been enough to keep up with the destruction. The pressure speaks for itself: recent interruptions in deliveries of military aid have made it obvious how stretched even Ukraine’s strongest backers have become.
On the diplomatic front, efforts to broker peace continue—but slowly. Russian gains in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions have slowed but not stopped. Ukraine, meanwhile, has launched sporadic cross-border attacks that have helped to further ramp things up. Perhaps most menacingly, the greatest threat remains Zaporizhzhia, where persistent shelling near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has triggered fears of an accident with far-reaching consequences for the continent.
Along the way, though, the stoicism of the people of Ukraine hasn’t gone unnoticed. Utility workers toil against the clock to repair shattered grids. Teachers teach in basements or via remote classes. Volunteers deliver groceries to seniors, collect funds, and fan hope. But the social cost is certain. Each new strike not only reduces buildings to rubble—it wears down the shared resilience of a nation fighting to preserve its future.
This war on infrastructure goes far beyond the battlefield. It’s an intentional effort to destroy a nation by destroying its systems—its power, its economy, its hope. What’s being measured isn’t just Ukraine’s resolve, but the resolve of the world to stand in the way of such a protracted and ruthless campaign.
