Winter gives no respite in kyiv. After the attack on February 12 against energy infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital, Thousands of residents were left without heating in the middle of the cold wave. Two weeks later, the situation has improved, but is not completely resolved: around 100 buildings are still without thermal supply.
This was confirmed by the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, in a message published on Telegram, where he detailed the progress of the repair work.
2,500 buildings recover heat
The initial impact was massive. According to municipal data, 2,600 multi-story residential buildings were left without heating after the bombing against key facilities in the capital.
Since then, utility crews have worked around the clock to restore the system. The provisional balance is as follows:
- 2,500 buildings have already recovered heating
- About 100 properties remain without supply
- Municipal brigades continue operating in the most damaged points
In a city accustomed to subzero winters, central heating is not a luxury, but a basic necessity. kyiv’s thermal network depends on large plants that distribute heat to entire neighborhoods; When a facility is damaged, The effect multiplies quickly.
The bottleneck in Darnytsia
The situation is especially delicate in the Dniprovsky and Darnytsky districts. Over there, more than 1,100 buildings remain without heat due to previous damage that affected the Darnytsia thermal power plant, one of the city’s main energy infrastructures.
The severity of the damage prevents, for now, restoring supply in that area. Municipal technicians and emergency teams evaluate provisional solutions, but the magnitude of the damage complicates a quick repair.
The February 12 attack is part of the Russian strategy to hit critical energy infrastructure, a tactic already used in previous winters with the objective of putting pressure on the civilian population and straining the country’s logistical capacity.
Energy as a weapon
Since the start of the large-scale invasion in 2022, thermal power plantss, electrical substations and distribution networks have been recurring goals. The pattern is repeated especially in the colder months, when the humanitarian impact is greater.
In kyiv, district heating works through a centralized system: large plants generate heat that is distributed by pipes to residential buildings. cWhen a key plant goes out of service:
- Thousands of homes lose heat simultaneously
- Individual alternatives (electric radiators, generators) saturate the electrical network
- Increases health risk, especially for the elderly and children
Despite this, local authorities insist that the city is keeping essential services operational and that restoration is progressing quickly given the circumstances.
Klitschko has stressed that municipal teams work tirelessly to return normality to the affected neighborhoods. Meanwhile, for residents of still-unheated buildings, every day counts.
In the midst of the conflict, the energy front has become a parallel battle. And in kyiv, resisting the cold is also a form of resistance.
