After a nationwide blackout and a Russian drone and missile strike on Kyiv, about 1,170 apartment blocks in the capital are without central heating as temperatures fall below −20 °C. Many buildings have been without heat and electricity for weeks after attacks on critical infrastructure; some households also lack running water.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said municipal services and energy providers are “working around the clock to restore heat and light.” City crews say they are doing everything possible to bring water, heating and power back to affected homes.
In the Solomianskyi district one block has gone two weeks without central heating. Resident Sviatoslava carries pots of boiling water into her bedroom, sleeps fully clothed in a sleeping bag and spends much of the day in the kitchen. “The gas stove is always on, but I have to air the room from time to time so I don’t suffocate,” she said. Workers drained radiators in time to prevent freeze damage, and a plumber advised pouring hot water down toilets periodically to keep pipes from bursting.
Large northern Troieshchyna has also been hit hard. Authorities have set up army tents and so-called Invincibility Points—emergency shelters offering heat, hot drinks and generators for charging devices. An older resident said her building has power only six to eight hours a day and has been without heating for a week. “It’s impossible to stay warm inside,” she said, but added that access to gas lets them cook and warm one room.
Valeriy described how people heat bricks on gas stoves because stoves cannot be left on for long without causing headaches. He runs a small solar generator on his balcony, charges power banks at a supermarket and bought drinking water there after his building’s supply failed. Despite hardships and rising food prices, many say surrender is not an option. “Most think it would be better to hold out. We don’t want to live with the Russians,” Valeriy said.
Residents and housing managers are taking initiative where repairs are slow. Tetiana, a housing manager, reported that long-distance district heating arrives at about 65 °C but radiators in apartments remain barely warm. Private plumbers sent to fix the problem were reportedly called away by their foreman before completing work, so Tetiana and neighbors insulated exposed basement pipes themselves with mineral wool, donated blankets and other materials, and plan to check attics for further insulation needs.
The city says each district hosts an Invincibility Point. Iryna, a Red Cross volunteer at a shelter located in a school since 2022, said most people come in the evening for warmth, hot drinks and food; a social worker records requests and they help where possible.
Assistant principal Lyudmyla Vakulenko is coordinating installation of a mobile heating unit with municipal workers. Her school has opened three classrooms for younger children whose kindergarten lacks heat and provided sleeping space on the ground floor for about 20 municipal workers who traveled from surrounding towns to help. “We always have teachers on duty, and classes are ongoing. We must take care of our children’s education,” she said.
Originally written in German.