More than 1,000 apartment complexes in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, are still lacking heating after a destructive assault by Russia earlier this week, according to local authorities. Since the invasion on February 24, 2022, Russia has escalated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that over the past week, Russia had deployed 1,100 drones, more than 890 guided aerial bombs, and over 50 missiles, including ballistic and cruise missiles, against Ukraine.
Following a missile strike on Kyiv last Friday that left the entire city without power and heat amid cold weather, water supplies were only restored on Sunday, while electricity and heating were partially reinstated. Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately waiting for freezing temperatures to exacerbate conditions for Ukrainians, labeling it as “a cynical act of Russian terror targeting civilians.” Moscow did not respond immediately.
The ongoing damage to the energy grid has left the utilities on the brink, with temperatures expected to drop to -20 C this week, making it potentially the coldest and darkest winter since the conflict began. Mayor Vitali Klitschko of Kyiv stated that despite restoration efforts, the energy supply situation in the capital remains challenging due to the severe frosts expected to persist.
The Ukrainian Energy Ministry reported that Russian forces had attacked the power system again, causing brief power outages in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions during the night. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko mentioned on Telegram that there were 44 attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure this week. She highlighted the progress in restoring heat and electricity, mentioning that significant improvements in Kyiv may take time but could be achieved by Thursday.