Kiev hit by Russian strikes, thousands of buildings without heat

Electricity, heating and water supplies were disrupted in parts of Kiev following renewed Russian attacks, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that 5,635 high-rise apartment buildings were left unheated after the attacks in the Ukrainian capital. Many of the affected buildings had already been damaged during a major Russian attack on January 9, he said in a post on Telegram.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia carried out the night attack using a mixture of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. It was stated that a total of 372 drones, one Zircon anti-ship missile, 15 Kh-101 cruise missiles and 18 ballistic missiles were launched against Ukraine.

The air force said air defenses intercepted 342 of the incoming objects, but some attacks hit their targets.

The Russian military confirmed it carried out a large-scale airstrike but said only military targets in Ukraine were hit.

One person was injured in Kiev, police said.

In addition to the damage to the energy infrastructure, residences and private vehicles were also affected. Many cars caught fire after being hit by falling drone debris.

Klitschko said that water supplies on the left bank of the Dnipro River passing through Kiev were also interrupted.

Kiev is experiencing its harshest winter since the start of the all-out invasion of Russia nearly four years ago.

Russia is systematically targeting Ukraine’s energy system, severely weakening the grid and causing daily power outages lasting several hours.

A series of heavy attacks on the capital earlier this month, combined with persistent sub-zero temperatures, have further deteriorated conditions for Kiev residents. Authorities set up emergency shelters where people could warm up, collect water and charge their cellphones.