Kyiv Struggles Amid Ongoing Russian Strikes as Winter Deepens

Wed Jan 21 2026 23:23:46 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Half of Kyiv experiences heating outages after a significant Russian missile strike, with residents facing the harsh winter conditions without power. The city's infrastructure is under immense strain as air defense costs mount.

A large-scale Russian aerial attack has left half of Kyiv's residential buildings without heating and power during frigid temperatures. President Zelensky confirms significant targets were intercepted, but damages, including fatalities, and the financial toll on Ukraine's air defense are alarming. Over 10,000 residents sought refuge underground as the city grapples with repeated energy disruptions that have persisted throughout the winter.

A large Russian aerial strike on Ukraine has again left half of Kyiv's residential buildings without heating or power as temperatures across the country continue to hover around -10C.

Drones, ballistic and cruise missiles targeted several locations in Ukraine, including Kyiv, Dnipro in the centre, and Odesa in the south.

Air raid alerts in the capital lasted for most of the night. On Tuesday, sirens rang out again as Russian drones and cruise missiles approached the capital.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said a significant number of targets had been intercepted. But he also said that, in terms of air defense missile prices alone, repelling that attack had cost Ukraine about €80m (£69m).

Between Monday and Tuesday, at least four people died and 33 others were injured in strikes across Ukraine.

On Tuesday morning, more than 5,600 residential buildings – each with dozens of flats – in Kyiv woke up to no heating. A large part of the capital also has no water.

I have no electricity and no water, Oleksandr Palii, a 29-year-old veteran, told the BBC. I didn't sleep until 3am because of the strikes either – there were explosions all night.

The Ukrainian president had been due to travel to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday but, in the wake of the overnight strikes, he said he had decided to stay in Kyiv.

Temperatures have stayed well below freezing since the start of the year. Ukrainian media has reported instances of radiators bursting due to the water in them freezing, leading to flooding in entire buildings. There have also been reports of fires starting due to people using gas heaters indoors.

In recent days, videos have circulated on social media showing Ukrainians barbecuing in snowy yards and dancing to keep warm in the face of continued power cuts and freezing temperatures. But many say this is the worst winter since the start of the full-scale war in 2022.

The resilience of the Ukrainian people cannot be an excuse for this war to continue. It must end as soon as possible, said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha‎ on Tuesday.

President Zelensky emphasized the need for more air defense systems, stating that Russia is utilizing far more ballistic missiles in its assaults.