Emergency service workers in Kyiv erected tents on Saturday to provide warmth for residents whose homes were left without heating following a major Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital. The assault has pushed the city's power grid to the brink of collapse during a bitter winter freeze.
Capital Struggles with Ruined Infrastructure
Engineers scrambled throughout Saturday to stabilise the critically damaged energy network. The attack, which included the use of an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, has resulted in widespread outages of electricity, heating, and water. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated the situation in Kyiv remains "difficult," exacerbated by increased use of electric heaters due to the severe cold.
Residents were forced to huddle inside unheated apartments as temperatures plummeted. A spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, condemned the strikes, saying they "have resulted in significant civilian casualties and deprived millions of Ukrainians of essential services... at a time of acute humanitarian need."
Diplomatic and Military Responses Escalate
Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, confirmed that the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss Russia's large-scale assault. "The meeting will address Russia’s flagrant breaches of the UN Charter," Sybiha wrote on social media platform X.
On the military front, Ukraine reported striking strategic targets behind Russian lines. The General Staff stated it hit the Zhutovskaya oil depot in Russia's Volgograd region, which it said supplies fuel to Russian forces. Further strikes were reported on a drone storage facility in Zaporizhzhia and a command point near Pokrovsk.
Cross-Border Strikes Intensify Conflict
The conflict's reciprocal nature was highlighted by reports from the Russian border region of Belgorod. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said 600,000 residents were left without power, heating, and water following a Ukrainian missile strike, describing restoration efforts as "extremely challenging."
Separately, a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Voronezh injured at least four people and damaged several buildings, including an emergency service facility and apartment blocks, according to local authorities.
Amid the violence, diplomatic channels remained active. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine's lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, held talks with US representatives on Saturday, with daily communications continuing as both sides seek a framework to end the war.
