More than 1,000 Kyiv buildings still without heat after Russian strikes

More than 1,000 apartment buildings in Kyiv remain without heating after Russian missile attacks crippled the city’s energy system during a sharp cold snap, Ukrainian officials say.

The strikes on Friday left almost the entire capital without power and heating, with full services still not restored days later. Authorities say the damage comes as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the fourth winter of the war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said repair work was continuing but warned the situation remained extremely difficult, especially in regions close to the front line. He said around 200 emergency crews were working across the Kyiv region to restore electricity and heating.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said energy supplies in the capital were still under severe strain and warned that freezing temperatures were expected to continue in the coming days, prolonging the crisis.

Residents described harsh conditions as temperatures dropped well below freezing. One Kyiv resident said she had been without electricity for more than two days and was struggling to cope despite heating being partially restored.

Zelenskyy said Russia launched around 1,100 drones, more than 890 guided aerial bombs and more than 50 missiles at Ukraine over the past week, including ballistic and cruise missiles. He accused Moscow of deliberately timing the attacks to coincide with freezing weather, calling them a targeted assault on civilians.

• Russian strikes cut power across southeastern Ukraine amid deep freeze

Ukraine’s energy ministry said Russian forces carried out further strikes overnight, briefly cutting power to parts of the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said energy facilities and critical infrastructure were hit every day this week, with 44 attacks recorded in total.

Officials say water supplies have been restored in Kyiv and electricity and heating are gradually returning, but full recovery will take time as temperatures are forecast to fall to minus 20 degrees Celsius later this week.

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