According to Ukrainian officials, this winter has become the hardest since the full-scale war. The aggressor country, Russia, is striking energy facilities more systematically and accurately than in previous years, leading to rolling blackouts in major cities, including Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkov and Krivoy Rog.
In January, Russian attacks left up to 2.5 million people without power overnight, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko even urged residents to temporarily leave the capital.
The head of Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, Maxim Timchenko, said that the situation is “close to a humanitarian catastrophe.”
City residents say that the blows to the energy sector primarily affect everyday life. “It’s terrible to go to bed in warm clothes and still feel cold,” said a resident of Kyiv. A resident of Krivoy Rog notes that the shutdowns “exhaust slowly and systematically.”
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia fired more than 4,500 drones and missiles across the country in January. The largest attacks coincided with the coldest nights, when temperatures dropped below -15°C.
Despite the help of Western partners – the supply of generators, equipment and even power plant components – Ukrainians are forced to adapt to life in conditions of constant blackouts. There are more than 10 thousand “indestructible points” throughout the country, where you can stay warm, charge your phones and get help.
“The hardest thing is the feeling that normal life has disappeared,” says Krivoy Rog resident Victoria Bondarenko. “Even at home you don’t rest, but continue to survive.”
The UN notes that 2025 was the deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians since 2022, with the number of casualties from drone and missile strikes up 65% from the previous year.
