Ukraine struggles to revive warmth, electrical energy as temperatures plummet to -19 levels Celsius.
Printed On 15 Jan 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned {that a} state of emergency is being declared for Ukraine’s vitality sector, as repeated Russian assaults have left hundreds of properties with out warmth and electrical energy amid freezing winter circumstances.
Zelenskyy’s announcement got here as temperatures dropped to -19 levels Celsius (-2.2 Fahrenheit) in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, the place a whole bunch of house buildings stay with out warmth following a large Russian assault final week.
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“The implications of Russian strikes and deteriorating climate circumstances are extreme,” mentioned Zelenskyy in a put up on X late on Wednesday, including that “restore crews, vitality corporations, municipal providers, 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 evaluation 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 house buildings remained with out warmth on Wednesday, virtually per week after a Russian attack left hundreds of residences with out warmth, electrical energy and water, in accordance with metropolis officers.
The assault, which started final Thursday night time, prompted Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko to induce folks to go away the town, saying that “half of house buildings in Kyiv – practically 6,000 – are at present with out heating as a result of the capital’s crucial infrastructure was broken by the enemy’s large assault”.
Power provide has been a frequent target throughout Russia’s struggle on Ukraine, with Moscow and Kyiv launching assaults on oil refineries, gasoline pipelines, pumping stations and nuclear and thermal energy stations, that are powered by coal, oil and gasoline.
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 vitality provide throughout Russia’s struggle with Ukraine have additionally expanded past each nations’ borders, together with to grease tankers within the Black Sea.
In current months, quite a few oil tankers have come beneath assault from drones within the Black Sea, prompting issues from neighbouring nations, including Turkiye and Kazakhstan.
On Tuesday, drones struck two oil tankers within the Black Sea, chartered by United States oil big Chevron, in accordance with the businesses concerned. The ships had been crusing in direction of a terminal on the Russian coast, with the Russian Ministry of International Affairs on Wednesday blaming the assaults on Ukraine, which had but to publicly remark.
Kazakhstan’s International Ministry mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday that three oil tankers had been hit within the assault and that they had 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 vitality infrastructure,” it mentioned.
