Russian strike on Ukraine's Kyiv leaves 1,330 buildings still without heat

Around 1,700 apartment blocks in Kyiv remain without heating after a Russian missile and drone attack earlier this week, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said on Sunday. Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since its invasion in 2022.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had taken control of the village of Starytsya in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, near the border town of Vovchansk, as Moscow presses to expand its foothold in northeastern Ukraine on Saturday (25 January).

Ukraine’s military did not confirm the claim, saying fighting was continuing in the area. Kyiv reported Russian attacks but did not acknowledge any territorial losses.

Starytsya lies close to the Russian border, giving it potential strategic importance for access routes and supply lines around Vovchansk.

Ukraine’s General Staff said Russian forces carried out six attacks in the area, including near Starytsya. Independent verification of battlefield claims was not immediately possible, a recurring issue in the conflict.

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The developments came as Russia intensified strikes across Ukraine and as Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. negotiators held talks in Abu Dhabi on possible ways to end the war.

Around 1,700 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv were still without heating on Sunday following a Russian missile and drone attack earlier this week, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said.

Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy system on Saturday, rocking Kyiv with explosions overnight and leaving about 1.2 million properties without power nationwide during sub-zero winter temperatures.

“Russia’s main targets right now are our energy sector, critical infrastructure, and residential buildings,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on X.

He said Russia had launched more than 1,700 attack drones, over 1,380 guided aerial bombs and 69 missiles this week alone.

Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said more than 3,200 of Kyiv’s buildings were without heating late on Saturday, down from 6,000 earlier in the day.

“Since yesterday evening, utility workers and energy companies have restored heat supply to more than 1,600 buildings,” Klitschko said on Telegram, adding that work was continuing.

Russia’s Defence Ministry also said its forces had launched a large overnight strike targeting Ukrainian long-range drone facilities and energy infrastructure.

Such attacks have been part of a broader campaign aimed at degrading Ukraine’s military capabilities and power supply as fighting continues.

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