Russian strikes leave over 5,600 high-rises in Kyiv without heat

Russian strikes left more than 5,600 high-rise buildings in Kyiv without heat on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said, cutting services as subfreezing temperatures hit the capital. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had fired “a significant number” of ballistic and cruise missiles and launched more than 300 attack drones overnight, and that emergency services were engaged across a number of regions.

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said most of the affected buildings had only just had heat restored after an earlier large-scale attack on Jan. 8 and that one side of the city was without water; temperatures were about 6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 14 Celsius). Ukrainian officials described the repeated attacks on energy infrastructure as an attempt to force the country into submission or to “weaponize winter.” Authorities said the situation has deteriorated in recent weeks, with many people having electricity for only a few hours a day, backup batteries running low, lawmakers ordered to work remotely and schools closed until February; mobile kitchens and warming tents have been set up around the capital.

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Key Topics

World, Kyiv, Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vitali Klitschko, Energy Infrastructure