Ukraine has declared an energy-sector emergency as Russian strikes and an intense cold snap leave many homes without power and heat, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The announcement puts a national focus on urgent repairs and faster decision-making, with Kyiv among the hardest-hit areas during the freezing weather.
Emergency declared amid deep freeze
Zelenskyy said an emergency is in effect in Ukraine’s energy sector because Russian air attacks have damaged infrastructure at the same time temperatures have fallen well below freezing.
Officials and repair teams have been working to restore electricity and heating, while the cold has made recovery work harder in several places.
Kyiv outages and heating losses
Kyiv has faced major disruption since a large strike last week, and local officials have reported that more than 1,000 apartment buildings in the capital were still without heating after the attack.
In a separate update as the cold continued, officials in Kyiv said hundreds of apartment buildings remained without heat, with one report putting the figure at 471 buildings on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy has linked the pressure on daily life to the combined impact of attacks and weather, saying the consequences are severe while services try to keep people warm and keep basic utilities running.
Kharkiv hit as energy sites targeted
In Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv’s mayor said Russian forces destroyed a large energy facility, as emergency crews worked at the scene.
The mayor did not specify what type of facility was struck, and regional officials said they were still assessing the damage.
Kharkiv, about 25 km from the Russian border, has been repeatedly attacked during the war, including with drones and missiles, according to the same reporting.
What the government says comes next
Zelenskyy said Ukraine will set up a permanent coordination headquarters in Kyiv to manage the emergency response locally, alongside a nationwide energy-sector emergency.
He also said the government is pushing to secure essential equipment and assistance from international partners to replace damaged installations and support restoration work.
Ukraine plans to relax regulations to speed the connection of backup energy systems into the grid, while work is also underway to increase electricity imports to ease the strain.
Zelenskyy said curfew rules would be reassessed during the extreme cold so people can access support points, and authorities have also been setting up emergency tents and shelters where residents can warm up, get hot drinks, and charge phones.
