Kiev Mayor Urges Evacuation After Heating Collapse

By Staff, Agencies

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has urged residents to temporarily leave the Ukrainian capital after overnight strikes left large parts of the city without central heating amid freezing winter conditions.

Klitschko said around 6,000 apartment buildings — nearly half of the city’s residential housing — lost access to central heating following what he described as the most “painful” attack on the city of three million people since the start of the conflict.

Some neighborhoods were also affected by water supply disruptions, while heavy snowfall and low temperatures have worsened the situation.

“I appeal to residents of the capital who have the opportunity to temporarily leave the city, where there are alternative sources of power and heat, to do so,” Klitschko wrote, adding that authorities hope to restore heating to some buildings by the evening.

In a follow-up message, the mayor urged residents who still have access to electricity and heating to assist others by offering warmth, food, and shelter.

He also reminded citizens that Kiev has approximately 1,200 emergency heating centers, known as “points of unbreakability,” where people can warm up, receive hot meals, and charge electronic devices.

The strikes come amid intensified long-range attacks across Ukraine, which Moscow says target military and dual-use infrastructure.

Russian officials have described the campaign as a response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory and energy facilities.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian strikes reportedly left large areas of Russia’s Belgorod Region without power, heat, and water, highlighting the growing humanitarian toll on both sides.