Ukraine devastated by Russian attacks, millions of families left without electricity

Ukraine has been plunged into chaos following devastating Russian airstrikes targeting the country’s energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands of people to endure inhumane conditions without electricity or heating.

From Friday night (23 January) until Saturday morning (24 January), a series of Russian attacks rocked the entire country, with continuous explosions reported in the capital Kyiv and several other cities.

According to Reuters, amid bone-chilling cold and sub-zero temperatures, around 1.2 million homes across Ukraine are currently without electricity. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said that in Kyiv alone, heating systems in nearly 3,500 buildings have completely collapsed. At the time of the attacks, temperatures in Kyiv were hovering around minus 10 degrees Celsius.

To deal with the severe situation in the capital, more than 160 emergency rescue workers are working around the clock. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said in a statement that nearly 1.2 million families across Kyiv and the northern Chernihiv region are currently living in darkness. Due to damage to Kyiv’s centralized heating distribution system, many apartment buildings have become freezing cold.

Notably, the attacks were carried out at a time when peace talks between Russia and Ukraine were underway in the United Arab Emirates under US mediation. However, with no signs of progress even on the second day of discussions, the overall war situation continues to deteriorate.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said that Russia primarily targeted the capital along with four regions in the north and east of the country. The government is now working to quickly repair damaged power generation facilities and has begun the process of importing electricity through alternative means.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that one person was killed in the capital during the attacks, while more than 30 people, including a child, were injured in the city of Kharkiv. City authorities have set up shelters that remain open 24 hours a day and are providing hot meals and medical assistance to residents in the worst-affected areas.