The Situation with Heating Supply in Kyiv
Kyiv is facing serious problems with heating supply after missile strikes on the city's energy infrastructure. As a result of the attacks, about 5 thousand apartment buildings have been left without heating, and 70% of Kyivans temporarily lost electricity supply. Although the authorities promise restoration of heating within 2-3 days, experts believe this is unrealistic considering the scale of the damage.
Of the 2600 kilometers of heating networks in the capital, about 800 kilometers require immediate replacement. Each year, the city only replaces 50 kilometers of pipes, complicating the situation. Given this, the likelihood of extending the timelines for the restoration of heating supply increases, since even in past winters, when accidents occurred, such as in Holosiiv, outages lasted up to five days.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to find places with autonomous sources of heat and electricity. According to expert Oleg Popenko:
'Draining water from the heating system is easy, but returning the heat carrier to 5 thousand houses can only be done at positive temperatures.'
This indicates that the restoration of heating supply may take a long time if there is no improvement in weather conditions.
Problems in Other Cities
Heating supply problems are not limited to Kyiv. In Kryvyi Rih, for example, 9 boiler houses stopped operating due to a lack of electricity, leaving 400 thousand residents without heat on November 17, 2024. The actual temperature in the apartments of Sumy residents is 12-14 degrees. The Poltava Regional Military Administration excluded 'Poltavavodokanal' from critical infrastructure, which may affect the further situation in the region.
In response to the challenges, the Kyiv City State Administration announced the purchase of seven gas piston units with a total capacity of 125 megawatts, which is expected to improve energy supply. However, backup sources for water supply were only purchased in October 2025, raising doubts about the city's readiness for such crisis situations.
It is important to note that underground gas storage facilities have also been hit, including a recent attack by the 'Oreshnik' missile. Meanwhile, electricity supply in Odessa was restored on December 13, but the situation in other cities, such as Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sumy, Poltava, Lviv, and Kharkiv, remains critical.
Thus, the restoration of heating in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine may take weeks, and residents continue to suffer from cold and lack of electricity.
This situation highlights the vulnerability of Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the context of an armed conflict and the urgent need for modernization measures. While the authorities are trying to find solutions to improve heating supply, residents face serious difficulties that may persist until weather conditions improve and the energy system stabilizes. It is important for communities to be prepared for unforeseen situations and to have access to autonomous energy sources in times of crisis.