Russian Air Strikes Cut Heating to Half of Kyiv Amid Harsh Winter Cold
January 20, 2026
A major Russian missile attack has plunged half of Kyiv into cold and darkness. Over 5,600 residential buildings in Kyiv lost heating and power amid temperatures near -10°C. The strike used drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles hitting Kyiv, Dnipro, and Odesa. Air raid alarms sounded across Kyiv almost all night. President Volodymyr Zelensky said many targets were intercepted but the defense cost Ukraine around €80m. Four people died and 33 were injured in various attacks since Monday. Many buildings lost water along with heating. Kyiv’s mayor Vitalii Klitschko said 80% of these buildings had just recovered from a similar attack on 9 January. Veteran Oleksandr Palii told the BBC, "I have no electricity and no water." The cold weather caused radiators to freeze and burst, flooding some buildings. Fires broke out due to indoor gas heaters. People use portable stoves and generators to cope, but poorer families struggle more. Olha Zasiadvovk, a mother, said food spoils quickly in intermittent power. Videos show Ukrainians barbecuing and dancing to stay warm despite hardships. Over 10,000 people took shelter in Kyiv metro stations Monday night. Zelensky postponed his trip to Davos due to security concerns. He stressed the urgent need for more air defense missiles as Russia increases ballistic missile attacks. The president warned that European-US unity is crucial to timely missile supplies for Ukraine’s defense. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, "The resilience of the Ukrainian people cannot be an excuse for this war to continue. It must end as soon as possible."
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Tags:
Russia-ukraine conflict
Kyiv Strikes
Heating Outage
Air raids
Missile defense
Winter Cold
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