Kyiv’s mayor has advised residents to evacuate the Ukrainian capital following Russian attacks that plunged a significant portion of the city into darkness and disrupted heating services. Mayor Vitali Klitschko communicated on Facebook that Kyiv was confronting a severe energy crisis, cautioning that the situation could deteriorate further. Approximately 1,940 residential buildings in the city were left without heating after a series of Russian air strikes on Tuesday night. This assault initially impacted up to 5,635 residential blocks, as stated by Klitschko. By Wednesday, around 4,000 structures, including the parliament building, were still without electricity or heating, accounting for nearly half of the city, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
In his recent social media update, Klitschko urged individuals to secure essential supplies and suggested that those able to relocate to areas with alternative power and heating should consider doing so. He also mentioned the establishment of designated locations throughout the city to accommodate a large number of people overnight if necessary, providing sleeping arrangements, heating devices, food, and hygiene essentials.
The recent attack occurred shortly after the restoration of heating in most affected buildings following previous Russian strikes on January 9. Ukrainian authorities reported four fatalities and 25 injuries in Kyiv resulting from the Russian offensive, which involved 242 drones and 36 missiles.
“Last night, 16 out of the 6,000 buildings were still without heating due to infrastructure damage caused by the enemy on January 9,” Klitschko disclosed on Tuesday via Telegram.
Moscow has intensified its assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amid the country’s harsh winter conditions, with temperatures hovering around -10°C.
Meanwhile, Zelensky expressed hope that the trilateral discussions in the United Arab Emirates would mark progress towards ending the conflict. The peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the US in Abu Dhabi are set to focus on the delicate issue of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
“The Donbas situation is pivotal and will be thoroughly deliberated along with the proposed approaches from all three sides,” Zelensky conveyed in a voice message to journalists. “This is a step, hopefully toward peace, though various outcomes are possible.”
These negotiations follow a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow. Earlier, Zelensky engaged with Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, describing the encounter as “positive,” while Trump characterized it as “good,” albeit acknowledging that there is still progress to be made.