January 15, 2026
Winter blackout. Russian strikes have left hundreds of Kyiv apartment buildings without heat or power amid freezing temperatures
On the night of January 8, Russian forces carried out a massive strike on Kyiv, knocking out a significant portion of the city’s heating, power, and water supplies. The following day, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that nearly half of the city’s apartment buildings — about 6,000 in total — had been left without heat, and urged residents to leave the city if possible.
TL;DR
- Russian forces launched a massive strike on Kyiv on January 8th, significantly disrupting heat, power, and water supplies.
- Approximately 6,000 apartment buildings, nearly half of the city's total, were left without heat.
- A severe cold snap exacerbated the situation, creating difficulties for repair crews.
- Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated the energy situation was the most difficult of the entire winter and unprecedented in scale.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky declared a state of emergency in Ukraine's energy sector and announced adjustments to curfew rules.
- Zelensky also criticized Kyiv's preparation for the energy crisis, which Mayor Klitschko refuted, defending the work of restoration specialists.