Kyiv residents are weighing winter moves as Russia intensifies attacks, fearing renewed strikes could cut power and heat. A mothers’ group reports more requests for housing in western Ukraine or abroad, but many have not decided whether to leave.
Last winter, Russian strikes on power and heating infrastructure left Kyiv without electricity and heat for weeks as temperatures fell to -20°C. Air-raid alerts, now nightly and increasingly daily, disrupt life across the city, especially at schools and hospitals, which follow strict safety protocols.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry says 4.8 gigawatts of generating capacity have been repaired and plans to restore or build more than 10 gigawatts this year. Last winter, national demand peaked at 18 gigawatts while capacity had fallen to 11 gigawatts, the International Energy Agency said. Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko says the city has completed 80% of its winter preparations.
