Kyiv/Budapest/Geneva, 14 January – Ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the resulting damage to heating and electricity networks have left large parts of Kyiv and nearby districts without essential services at the height of winter.

Around 800 residential buildings in Kyiv City are without heating and electricity, affecting around 200,000 people. Other hard-hit regions include Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel, where heating systems are almost completely down.

The Ukrainian Red Cross, supported by IFRC and other partners, is scaling up its emergency response to support people who have been left in the dark and cold. Red Cross teams, in close coordination with the State Emergency Service, serve hot meals and warm drinks and provide phone charging stations in heating points across the capital and its suburbs, serving around 700 people daily. Psychosocial support is also available, with 10 psychologists and several trained volunteers deployed to assist people.

Emergency repairs to energy systems are ongoing, but further attacks on energy infrastructure are likely, meaning humanitarian support will continue to be critical.

Spokespeople from IFRC and the Ukrainian Red Cross based in Kyiv are available for interviews.