Russia’s next war crime: After a winter of blackouts, Ukraine braces for summer water outages

Ukraine warns Russia could shift focus to attacking water systems, raising fears of a major humanitarian and sanitary crisis. A woman looks at bottles of water as Ukrainian citizens living near the front line receive water and food rations from the charity organization Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) on Feb. 26, 2025 in Shakhove, Ukraine. (Pierre Crom/Getty Images) Prefer on Google by Anastasiia Verzun Even as warmer weather reduces the disruptive impact of blackouts and lowers heating demand, Ukrainian officials and utility experts warn that Russia may be shifting its focus to a new pressure point: the country’s water infrastructure. That warning is now being echoed by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, HUR, which told the Kyiv Independent that "the selection of targets by the adversary is driven, among other factors, by a decrease in electricity consumption associated with the end of the heating season, as well as an increase in seasonal demand for water resources." The agency added that "potential strikes on water supply infrastructure in populated areas are intended by the enemy to provoke increased social tension and protest sentiments among the population of Ukraine," noting that international humanitarian law classifies such actions as a war crime. President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled that concern on April 3, warning that water infrastructure could become one of Russia’s next main targets and stressing that "maximum protection is required." Recent Russian attacks may already indicate the start of such a campaign. A reservoir on the Seversky Donets near Stary Saltov. View of the dam. Drone photo (Getty Images) On April 14, Russia targeted the Pechenihy Dam with six glide bombs, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov. Later the same day, Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, said Russian forces damaged specialized water supply repair equipment during an attack on the Zaporizhzhia district. The Ukrainian Union of Utility Consumers told the Kyiv Independent that, despite growing concern, public preparedness remains weak. "While certain recommendations have been issued at the state level for both facilities and residents, they remain fragmented, not publicly available, or too general, and there is still no coherent nationwide preparedness campaign," the group said. Experts say the danger is compounded by long-standing weaknesses in Ukraine’s water sector, raising the prospect of severe humanitarian consequences if attacks intensify. People collect drinkable water from a collection point created by an NGO on Nov. 10, 2024 in Pokrovsk, Ukraine. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images) While Russian attacks have often caused water supply disruptions in Ukraine, particularly in front-line and occupied areas , a mass nationwide campaign to deprive people of water would mark a significant escalation. "A strike on the energy system very often automatically becomes a strike on water supply as well," Viktoriia Yakovlieva, director of information policy at the Ukrainian Association of Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprises, known as Ukrvodokanalekolohiya, told the Kyiv Independent. The association has long warned about vulnerabilities in water supply systems and called for solutions, particularly around sewage infrastructure, an established concern in the sector. "Although clean water reservoirs give us some buffer time, the real 'Achilles’ heel' is the sewage system," Yakovlieva said, mentioning that if pumping stations stop due to a lack of power, "We risk an immediate discharge of wastewater onto the surface, posing a threat of a sanitary catastrophe." For residents, the effects could become unbearable quickly. Yulia Solonko, a Kyiv resident and mother of two who previously spoke to the Kyiv Independent this winter after Russian strikes left her apartment without heating, said the prospect of prolonged water outages could be even harder for families as temperatures rise. "For families with kids, by the second day you reach the absolute boiling point," she said, adding that the inability to maintain basic hygiene, do laundry and use the restroom normally could force her family to leave the city. The sector is already under severe strain. According to the Fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment , conducted jointly by the Ukrainian government, the World Bank, the EU and the U.N., the water supply and sanitation sector had sustained major damage by 2025 and was operating under growing financial pressure. The report estimated direct damage at $4.6 billion, losses at $12.7 billion and recovery needs at $11.25 billion. By February 2026, an updated assessment said the sector’s needs had increased by a further 55.4%. Yakovlieva said household tariffs still do not cover utilities' operating costs, meaning "this burden falls on workers who are literally operating under fire." As officials warn of possible strikes on water infrastructure, utility experts say the priority is not only protecting facilities from direct hits but ensuring systems can keep operating after an attack. Local residents collect drinking water at a distribution point in the town of Bilytske, near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast on April 28, 2025. (Genya SAVILOV / AFP via Getty Images) The Ukrainian Association of Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprises says the system’s main vulnerabilities are its dependence on electricity, chronic budget shortfalls, a shortage of spare parts and overworked personnel. Sergii Sukhomlyn, head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, said in an interview with Suspilne that the agency has developed engineering protections for water utilities designed to withstand drone strikes. He also said officials had created a backup solution to ensure water supply to large cities in the event of an attack on a water intake facility. Still, Viktoriia Yakovlieva, director of information policy at the Ukrainian Association of Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprises, warned that resilience has limits. "Without sufficient funding, backup equipment, international support, and systemic decentralization of water supply, even the most heroic teams will not be able to indefinitely compensate for the damages on their own. But it is precisely thanks to these teams that Ukraine still maintains basic life-sustaining functions even in places that come under daily fire," she said. In Kyiv, some residents are already working on backup plans. "I can at least go wash myself in the Dnipro River, but people from other districts would be less lucky," Sashko, a war veteran and resident of Kyiv’s Obolon district, told the Kyiv Independent. Hi! This is Anastasiia, the author of this story. Thank you for reading. Russia is constantly increasing pressure on Ukraine’s civilian population, hoping to intimidate us into submission. The Kyiv Independent newsroom is based in Kyiv, and we experience these attacks firsthand, yet we continue delivering timely, accurate coverage so Ukraine is not forgotten. If you want to support our work, please consider sharing this article and joining our community by becoming a member . Anastasiia is a junior reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She is an alumnus of Ukrainian Leadership Academy Mariupol 2022 and holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Kyiv National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. Before joining the team, she studied at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. She previously worked at the NGO Kriegsbilder, organizing screenings of Ukrainian cinema and curating music and cultural events.