Kyiv residents are bracing for a particularly difficult February, with power outages expected to limit electricity access to as little as four to six hours per day. The deepening energy crisis, triggered by sustained Russian strikes targeting Ukraine’s power infrastructure, is coinciding with a period of severe cold.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned that the coming days would be “very difficult” for the capital, according to Ukrainian media reports. The warning comes as temperatures are forecast to plummet, particularly overnight.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported on Thursday, , that residents are currently receiving electricity for only one and a half to two hours each day.
The latest Russian attacks have inflicted significant damage on key combined heat and electricity-producing power plants and high-voltage substations in and around Kyiv. Stanislav Ihnatiev, head of the Board of the Ukrainian Renewable Energy Association, detailed the extent of the damage following Tuesday’s, , attack – the largest on Ukraine’s energy system since the beginning of the year.
Heavy damage to Thermal Power Plant-6 (CHP-6) and the Darnytsia combined heat and power plant (CHPP) are primarily responsible for the electricity shortages. These facilities are critical for providing both electricity and heat to Kyiv’s residents. The loss of these facilities has drastically reduced generation capacity and poses a serious threat to the city’s heat supply during the winter months, Ihnatiev said.
The situation is forcing energy operators to implement stricter blackout schedules across the city. Residents are increasingly finding themselves without power for extended periods, impacting daily life and creating significant hardship.
The challenges extend beyond simply a lack of electricity. Residents are adapting to prolonged outages, finding innovative ways to cope with the cold. One Kyiv resident, Olena Janchuk, a former kindergarten teacher with rheumatoid arthritis, has been trapped on the 19th floor of her apartment building for weeks, facing a 650-step climb to reach the ground due to non-functioning elevators. She has constructed a makeshift fireplace using candles and bricks to absorb and slowly release heat, and relies on power banks to ration electricity for essential devices like an electric blanket.
“When there’s no light and heat for seventeen and a half hours, you have to come up with something,” Janchuk said. “The bricks work best in a small room, so we stay in there.”
Many of Kyiv’s approximately three million residents live in Soviet-era high-rise apartment buildings, now frequently left without power for the majority of the day. The ongoing war has transformed electricity into a carefully rationed commodity.
The crisis is not limited to Kyiv. Reports indicate that residents across Ukraine are struggling with similar conditions, with some forced to spend nights in heated emergency tents. An eleven-year-old boy recently told of having no power in his apartment for 36 hours, describing how cold his home had become. The extreme cold and lack of proper shelter are creating a dangerous situation for many civilians.
Doctors Without Borders has highlighted the dangers of surviving the cold without electricity, particularly for vulnerable populations. The ongoing Russian strikes are placing an immense burden on Ukraine’s civilian population, as the country enters its fourth winter of war.
