In Chernihiv, a recent missile strike by the Russian Federation damaged an energy infrastructure facility, leading to widespread power outages in the city. According to local energy providers, more than 6,000 subscribers are without electricity.
This is reported by Finway
Situation in Chernihiv After the Strike
The attack occurred in the Chernihiv region early on April 17. Representatives of the energy company reported that repair crews would only be able to begin emergency restoration work when the security situation allows it.
“Approximately 6,000 subscribers in the city of Chernihiv are without power. Energy workers will commence emergency restoration work as soon as the security situation permits.”
The head of the Chernihiv City Military Administration, Dmytro Bryzhynskyi, noted that Russia deliberately targeted critical infrastructure in the city. As a result of the shelling, fires broke out at the site of the incident, and information about casualties is being clarified.
Widespread Strikes on Critical Infrastructure
Russian military forces systematically strike Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure using various types of weapons: strike drones, missiles, guided aerial bombs, and multiple launch rocket systems. Such attacks pose a threat to civilian lives, depriving people of electricity, heat, water, communication, and medical assistance.
The Ukrainian authorities and international organizations classify these shellings as war crimes committed by the Russian Federation and emphasize their deliberate nature. It is specifically highlighted that strikes on life-support systems and healthcare facilities exhibit signs of genocidal actions, as their aim is to create conditions that make normal life for civilians impossible.
Among the signs of genocide defined by the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (adopted in 1948) is the intentional creation of living conditions for the total or partial destruction of a national or ethnic group, as well as public calls for the destruction of a people.
At the same time, the leadership of Russia denies targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, despite numerous evidence of the destruction of hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy, and water supply facilities in various regions of the country.