Russian attacks cause energy emergency in freezing Ukraine, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine struggles to restore heat, electricity as temperatures plummet to -19 degrees Celsius.Published On 15 Jan 2026Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that a state of emergency is being declared for Ukraine’s energy sector, as repeated Russian attacks have left thousands of homes without heat and electricity amid freezing winter conditions.Zelenskyy’s announcement came as temperatures dropped to -19 degrees Celsius (-2.2 Fahrenheit) in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, where hundreds of apartment buildings remain without heat following a massive Russian attack last week.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,420list 2 of 4Russia turning occupied Donbas into ‘huge military base to frighten Europe’list 3 of 4Ukraine’s former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko accused of bribery: Reportlist 4 of 4How US sanctions crippled lives of Iranians Trump says he wants to ‘help’end of list“The consequences of Russian strikes and deteriorating weather conditions are severe,” said Zelenskyy in a post on X late on Wednesday, adding that “repair crews, energy companies, municipal services, and the Ukraine" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="11765" data-entity-type="organization">State Emergency Service of Ukraine continue to work around the clock to restore electricity and heating”.Zelenskyy also said he had asked his government to review curfew restrictions during “this extremely cold weather” and that the country was working to increase its electricity imports to try to alleviate the dire situation.In Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, 471 apartment buildings remained without heat on Wednesday, almost a week after a Russian attack left thousands of apartments without heat, electricity and water, according to city officials.Electricians carry out emergency repairs on a power pole after a transformer burned out due to a voltage surge caused by regular Russian attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Wednesday [Dan Bashakov/AP Photo]The attack, which began last Thursday night, prompted Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko to urge people to leave the city, saying that “half of apartment buildings in Kyiv – nearly 6,000 – are currently without heating because the capital’s critical infrastructure was damaged by the enemy’s massive attack”.