Russia appears to have deliberately targeted civilians and critical infrastructure in its bombardment of Ukraine on Monday, which constitutes a war crime, the UN rights office said.

Russian missiles struck dozens of residential buildings and infrastructure, including a dozen power stations and energy facilities across eight regions of Ukraine, in what appeared to be carefully coordinated attacks, Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights office in Geneva, told reporters.

“We have to stress that intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects — that is, objects which are not military objectives — amounts to a war crime,” Shamdasani said.

The timing of the attacks, which came as people were going to work and taking children to school, were “particularly shocking”, she said.

Some of the facilities targeted may be essential to the survival of civilians in the winter, particularly older people and people with disabilities who are trapped in their homes.