Russian Strike Cuts Heat in Kyiv, Raises Alarm Over Nuclear Safety Risks
Kyiv – A major Russian air assault on Ukraine plunged large parts of Kyiv into freezing conditions on Tuesday, cutting heating supplies to nearly half of the capital’s population and disrupting power infrastructure linked to the country’s nuclear facilities.
The attack intensified concerns that Moscow is deliberately targeting energy systems during winter to increase civilian hardship and apply strategic pressure on Kyiv and its allies.
City officials said the strike left more than 5,600 apartment buildings without heating as temperatures dropped as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius.
Residents across Kyiv were forced to seek shelter in metro stations and adapt to the cold by using improvised heating methods, highlighting the mounting humanitarian toll of repeated attacks on infrastructure. The assault marked the second large-scale strike on the capital this month.
Ukraine’s reliance on nuclear energy made the attack particularly alarming. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that several electrical substations crucial for nuclear safety were affected, while power lines supplying some nuclear plants were disrupted.
Ukraine generates well over half of its electricity from nuclear power, making the grid’s stability vital not only for daily life but also for preventing nuclear incidents.
The IAEA also confirmed that the Chornobyl nuclear plant temporarily lost all off-site power following the strikes, though Ukrainian authorities later said the connection was restored.
Ukrainian officials warned that such disruptions increase the risk of accidents, even if reactors themselves are not directly targeted. Kyiv accused Moscow of using the threat of nuclear danger as a coercive tactic.
Ukraine’s foreign minister said Russian forces were deliberately striking substations while publicly claiming to value nuclear safety. He argued that the attacks demonstrated a calculated effort to endanger critical infrastructure and intimidate both Ukraine and the international community.
Grid operator Ukrenergo said the assault involved more than 330 drones and nearly three dozen missiles, targeting both electricity generation and distribution facilities.
The damage extended beyond the capital. Authorities in the northern Chernihiv region said nearly 87 percent of residents were without power, while multiple regions including Odesa, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy also came under attack.
Energy providers reported that hundreds of thousands of households nationwide lost electricity, with repair crews racing to restore supplies amid ongoing security threats.
Russia said it had struck military-industrial, energy and transport targets to support its battlefield operations. However, Ukrainian officials said the scale and timing of the attacks underscored a strategy focused on weakening civilian morale and economic resilience during winter, when energy shortages are most severe.
The strikes followed recent peace discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials as part of a renewed diplomatic push, though Kyiv says Moscow has shown little interest in halting the war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the United States and its partners to exert greater pressure on Russia, saying tougher sanctions were needed to curb Moscow’s military production.
Zelenskiy said some of the missiles used in the attack were newly manufactured this year, reinforcing calls for stricter enforcement of sanctions.
He also appealed for increased air defence support, noting that the cost of repelling the latest assault was estimated at around 80 million euros. According to Ukrainian officials, additional air defence systems could significantly reduce damage to energy infrastructure.
Kyiv’s power grid has suffered sustained damage since late October, with officials estimating that around 8.5 gigawatts of generation capacity have been hit.
Despite round-the-clock repairs, repeated strikes have kept the system under severe strain. Water supplies were also disrupted in parts of Kyiv, adding to residents’ difficulties.
As winter deepens, Ukrainian authorities warn that continued attacks on energy and nuclear-linked infrastructure pose escalating risks, not only for Ukraine but for regional security.
The latest assault has renewed international concern over the safety of nuclear facilities in a war zone and the broader consequences of targeting critical civilian infrastructure.
