(NewsNation) — As the war in Ukraine continues, officials are warning that Russian attacks on New Year’s Eve could “significantly damage” the energy system.

William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said allies need to do something to help Ukraine, especially because these are attacks on unarmed civilians and on energy.

“We should help the Ukrainians defend themselves against these attacks. And we should provide the weapons to enable the Ukrainians to go deep against the Russian military that are conducting these attacks,” Taylor said.

He added, “This is in terms of humanitarian assistance. In terms of replacements for their electrical grids, there’s a lot of things that we can be doing, and now’s the time to do it.”

According to the UN, at least 6,800 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia invaded the county in February.