Heating Disrupted in Kyiv Following Attack on Darnytsia Thermal Power Plant
A Russian missile strike in the early hours of Tuesday, February 3, caused significant damage to the Darnytsia Thermal Power Plant (TPP) in Kyiv, forcing it to shut down. Ukraine's Minister for Communities and Territories Development, Oleksiy Kuleba, documented the destruction at the facility, which provided heat to residential buildings, hospitals, and schools in the Darnytsia district. This attack is part of a wider Russian campaign targeting Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure.
As a result of the strike, a portion of residential buildings in the Darnytsia district were left without heating. Reports indicate that repairing the Darnytsia TPP will require a substantial amount of time. The occupying forces have systematically attacked energy facilities, including combined heat and power plants (CHPPs) and thermal power stations (TPS), to disrupt heating supplies in cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro.
Government Response to the Heating Crisis
In response, authorities have expanded the network of heating points in the district to assist residents affected by the loss of central heating. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal emphasized the severity of the situation, stating,
"Repairs to the Darnytsia heat and power plant in Kyiv, which sustained severe damage from the Russian attack, will take a significant amount of time."He further added,
"The situation in the energy system is difficult."
This incident underscores the continued, deliberate targeting of Ukraine's critical infrastructure, which poses severe risks to civilians, especially during winter. While authorities are implementing measures to support residents, the extended repair timeline is likely to create ongoing challenges for reliable heat and power supply in the region.