Nearly 200,000 Left Without Power, Heat in Kyiv

(MENAFN) Approximately 200,000 residents in Kyiv and surrounding regions are enduring severe power and heating blackouts amid freezing winter conditions, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) announced Tuesday.

Persistent strikes targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure have inflicted widespread damage across electricity and heating networks throughout the capital and adjacent districts, the IFRC stated. Roughly 800 residential structures in Kyiv City currently lack both heating and electrical service, while outlying communities—including Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel—have suffered catastrophic impacts, with heating infrastructure described as virtually obliterated.

The Ukrainian Red Cross, backed by the IFRC and coalition partners, is rapidly expanding emergency operations to support populations affected by the blackouts, according to the statement. Red Cross personnel are collaborating closely with Ukraine's State Emergency Service to distribute hot meals, warm beverages, and mobile phone charging facilities at designated warming centers throughout Kyiv and its suburbs.

Current relief operations are reaching approximately 700 individuals daily, the IFRC reported. Mental health services are also being deployed, with 10 psychologists and specially trained volunteers providing assistance to help residents manage stress and trauma stemming from continuous attacks and extended power failures.

Crews are conducting emergency repairs on compromised energy systems, but the IFRC cautioned that additional strikes on vital infrastructure remain highly probable, heightening the threat of extended outages throughout winter months.

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