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UN development chief Alexander De Croo warns Ukraine faces its 'toughest winter' since Russia's 2022 invasion as systematic Russian strikes on energy infrastructure risk a 'humanitarian catastrophe' before -20C temperatures set in.

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**Alexander De Croo**, UNDP head and former Belgian PM, told the BBC Ukraine faces its "toughest winter" since 2022, warning of "humanitarian catastrophe" risk and a "race against the clock" to repair power networks before temperatures drop to -20C

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Russia** has deployed faster jet-powered drones that are harder to intercept in around-the-clock attacks on Ukraine, particularly Kyiv, systematically targeting energy infrastructure, petrol stations, shopping malls, and business centres

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Ukraine Faces 'Toughest Winter' Since 2022, UN Warns — SkimNews

By BBC World · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-12

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Alexander De Croo, UNDP head and former Belgian PM, told the BBC Ukraine faces its "toughest winter" since 2022, warning of "humanitarian catastrophe" risk and a "race against the clock" to repair power networks before temperatures drop to -20C
Russia has deployed faster jet-powered drones that are harder to intercept in around-the-clock attacks on Ukraine, particularly Kyiv, systematically targeting energy infrastructure, petrol stations, shopping malls, and business centres
A Russian drone strike on a shopping mall in Pavlohrad killed 5 and wounded 67 on Thursday; earlier-week strikes on malls in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy killed 2 and injured 28, with De Croo calling the targeting of civilian sites unjustifiable
Ukraine continues launching drone strikes deep into Russian territory; Russia reported a seaborne drone attack on Sochi that wounded 28, while Russian drones hit a Ukraine-Moldova border crossing killing 2 and drawing Moldova "increasingly" into the conflict
The UN Development Programme is rebuilding damaged parts of Ukraine's energy grid and establishing more sustainable, decentralized energy plants, with workers reconstructing "under constant, constant air alarms" at sites that remain targets

Why it matters: Ukraine's energy grid faces faster jet-powered Russian drones while crews rebuild 'under constant, constant air alarms' — if -20C winter arrives before repairs complete, the UN's third most senior official warns heating, water, and sewage could fail, risking humanitarian catastrophe with 5 killed and 67 wounded in a single Pavlohrad mall strike Thursday alone.