Kyiv is struggling to keep residents warm after a recent Russian missile and drone attack left around 1,700 apartment buildings without heating, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. The strikes hit Ukraine’s energy system hard, showing that the war is not just about territory but also about hitting everyday life at its most basic level, keeping homes warm during the freezing winter.
The attacks highlight the vulnerability of Ukraine’s infrastructure. Even as the country fights back, Moscow’s bombardments have steadily intensified, causing widespread power outages across the capital and leaving millions dependent on temporary solutions just to survive the cold.
Thousands of Buildings Still Without Heat
As of Sunday, more than 1,700 buildings in Kyiv remained without heating, a sharp drop from earlier in the week when over 6,000 were affected. Utility workers have managed to restore services to about half of those homes, but extreme cold makes their work slow and dangerous.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russia is deliberately targeting residential buildings and critical infrastructure, striking not just military sites but the very systems that keep people alive and safe. Each attack, he said, has a “devastating impact” on Ukrainian families and communities.
Energy Crisis Hits Millions Across Ukraine
The Russian strikes did not just affect Kyiv. Nationwide, 1.2 million properties lost power amid sub-zero temperatures. The disruption of electricity and heating threatens vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, and those living in high-rise apartments.
Experts warn that repeated attacks on energy infrastructure create long-term problems. Repair crews are often working under dangerous conditions, and each strike delays restoration efforts. While Ukrainian teams respond quickly, the scale of destruction shows the war’s heavy toll on daily life, beyond the battlefield.
Diplomatic Talks Continue Amid Attacks
The attacks came even as Ukrainian, Russian, and American negotiators met in Abu Dhabi to discuss possible paths toward ending the war. The timing underscores a brutal reality: diplomacy may move slowly, but destruction on the ground is immediate.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba emphasized the scale of the challenge, noting that thousands of buildings in Kyiv remain affected despite ongoing repair efforts. These strikes serve as a stark reminder that in modern conflict, civilians bear a heavy burden and infrastructure is often the first target.
War Hits Homes, Not Just Frontlines
This wave of attacks shows that Russia’s strategy is as much about destabilizing daily life as it is about military conquest. Targeting energy systems during winter is a deliberate way to pressure civilians and weaken morale.
For Ukraine, the situation exposes both resilience and vulnerability. Restoration teams have worked tirelessly, yet the repeated destruction shows that even modern urban infrastructure is fragile under war conditions. For ordinary Ukrainians, surviving winter now depends not only on the government’s response but on the endurance of their communities and neighbors.
What This Means for Ukrainians
The winter strikes are a reminder that war affects more than soldiers or territory. Homes, schools, and hospitals are at risk. The public faces cold, disrupted electricity, and uncertainty. Ukraine’s leadership continues to coordinate with international partners for support, but as long as attacks persist, every winter storm, power outage, or missile can have life-threatening consequences for civilians.
The human cost of this strategy cannot be ignored. Each building without heat is more than a number, it is a family struggling, a child shivering, and a community under pressure. Russia’s attacks may be strategic, but for Ukrainians, the reality is deeply personal.
