Ukraine struggles to revive warmth, electrical energy as temperatures plummet to -19 levels Celsius.
Revealed On 15 Jan 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned {that a} state of emergency is being declared for Ukraine’s power sector, as repeated Russian assaults have left hundreds of houses with out warmth and electrical energy amid freezing winter situations.
Zelenskyy’s announcement got here as temperatures dropped to -19 levels Celsius (-2.2 Fahrenheit) in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, the place a whole lot of condo buildings stay with out warmth following a large Russian assault final week.
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“The implications of Russian strikes and deteriorating climate situations are extreme,” mentioned Zelenskyy in a put up on X late on Wednesday, including that “restore crews, power corporations, municipal companies, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine proceed to work across the clock to revive electrical energy and heating”.
Zelenskyy additionally mentioned he had requested his authorities to evaluate curfew restrictions throughout “this extraordinarily chilly climate” and that the nation was working to extend its electrical energy imports to attempt to alleviate the dire state of affairs.
In Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, 471 condo buildings remained with out warmth on Wednesday, virtually per week after a Russian assault left hundreds of residences with out warmth, electrical energy and water, in response to metropolis officers.
The assault, which started final Thursday evening, prompted Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko to induce folks to depart town, saying that “half of condo buildings in Kyiv – practically 6,000 – are presently with out heating as a result of the capital’s vital infrastructure was broken by the enemy’s large assault”.
Vitality provide has been a frequent goal throughout Russia’s battle on Ukraine, with Moscow and Kyiv launching assaults on oil refineries, fuel pipelines, pumping stations and nuclear and thermal energy stations, that are powered by coal, oil and fuel.
Russian-appointed native official Yevhen Balitsky mentioned on Telegram on Wednesday {that a} Ukrainian assault had left greater than 3,000 folks with out electrical energy in Russian-occupied areas of Zaporizhia.
Black Sea assaults
The frequent assaults on power provide throughout Russia’s battle with Ukraine have additionally expanded past each nations’ borders, together with to grease tankers within the Black Sea.
In current months, a variety of oil tankers have come underneath assault from drones within the Black Sea, prompting issues from neighbouring nations, together with Turkiye and Kazakhstan.
On Tuesday, drones struck two oil tankers within the Black Sea, chartered by United States oil large Chevron, in response to the businesses concerned. The ships have been crusing in the direction of a terminal on the Russian coast, with the Russian Ministry of Overseas Affairs on Wednesday blaming the assaults on Ukraine, which had but to publicly remark.
Kazakhstan’s Overseas Ministry mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday that three oil tankers have been hit within the assault and that they have been heading to a Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal, the place an oil pipeline from the central Asian nation ends.
The ministry urged the US and Europe to assist safe the transport of oil.
“The growing frequency of such incidents highlights the rising dangers to the functioning of worldwide power infrastructure,” it mentioned.
