On the night of January 9, 2025, Russia once again carried out a massive terrorist attack on Ukraine, using drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and a hypersonic weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, launched just dozens of kilometers from the border with Poland. This constitutes a direct and deliberate threat not only to Ukraine but also to European countries.
Kyiv was the main target of the attack. Civilians were killed and injured. Dozens of sites were damaged, half of them residential buildings. Russian forces carried out a double-tap strike on one of the buildings while rescue workers and medics were already on site. Among those killed was 56-year-old medic and internally displaced person Serhii Smoliak — a man who devoted his entire life to saving others and was murdered while rescuing people.
Lviv, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, and Cherkasy regions, as well as their energy infrastructure, were also targeted.
During this period of winter holidays, for weeks, Russia has been terrorising Ukrainian cities, causing blackouts in major cities such as Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Lviv, as well as entire regions. Odesa region remains under constant attack: people there were without electricity for several days, and ports where our members work are being targeted. In addition, our members who are miners face mortal danger underground due to power outages caused by strikes. Our members – mine rescuers, energy workers, and medics – are saving lives under shelling.
Currently, Ukrainian cities are without heating during frosty conditions with temperatures below −10-15°C and snowstorms. Local authorities are already urging Kyiv residents to prepare for a critical situation and to seek opportunities to relocate to relatively more stable areas. To understand the scale: Kyiv and the Kyiv region together constitute a multi-million metropolis; Dnipro’s population is comparable to Turin or Valencia, while Kryvyi Rih is comparable to Copenhagen.
This war is genocidal in nature. Russia is deliberately terrorising the civilian population, waiting for the harshest winter conditions, and striking cities across Ukraine, including those close to the borders of Europe.
We reiterate our appeal to all trade union leaders and to all defenders of human dignity and democracy to:
- urgently consider the possibility of immediate assistance to Ukrainian workers;
- once again publicly condemn Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities and the killing of civilians;
- disseminate truthful information about the situation in Ukraine through your trade union and civic networks;
- support strong economic, humanitarian, and military assistance to Ukraine from your governments;
- insist on strengthening sanctions against the Russian Federation;
- demand accountability for all those responsible for war crimes;
- seek the release of all Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian hostages, including trade union activists, as well as the immediate return of all abducted Ukrainian children.
Ukrainian workers and trade union members are resisting and fighting, sacrificing their lives and health for peace in Ukraine, Europe, and the world.
We resist and fight for freedom and the fundamental rights to live and peace.