The Russian war machine has been trying to knock out electricity and heating in the Ukrainian capital

~ Nikita Ivansky ~

As winter came so did Russian attempts to break the spirit Ukrainians through a systematic campaign of terror targeting the civilian population. In September-December 2025 Russia launched around 5,000 Shahed drones per month against different targets primarily infrastructure.

When talking to friends in Ukraine back in Autumn, it was clear that this winter will be very challenging, taking in account how much Russian state focused its attack on energy infrastructure of the country. Blackouts started in October in different cities all across the region, with the heating season starting a bit later.

With rockets and drones hitting the Ukrainian capital almost on daily basis, the situation is moving into humanitarian catastrophe as thousands of houses are left without heating in the freezing temperatures.

This is happening while Trump’s attention has drifted away from Ukraine in search of a more interesting target. With a friend of Putin running the White House, the hope of peace in the coming months or even years seems distant to many. Russia’s tactic in the current situation is to wear down the Ukrainian population, which will probably pressure the government into making more problematic deals with Putin’s regime.

Despite all this, some people in the city organise parties in the yards of their houses to warm up as there is little left for humans in the cold concrete buildings. With no electricity or heating, some people come outside to cook food, dance, and spend time together instead of freezing in the small rooms of their apartments.

This could mislead someone into believing that the situation is not that bad. The reality is much worse: the temperature in Kyiv dropped to -14°C on Saturday night. Many places don’t have water, heating, or electricity, and the situation is slowly drifting into a possible humanitarian crisis.

With all this happening, the Ukrainian population becomes even more dependent on mutual aid and solidarity. You can support the people by donating to the Solidarity Collectives’ Humanitarian Aid Department. You can also buy a generator, power station, or other useful items and send them to Kyiv.

Photo: A “point of resilience” supporting vulnerable Ukrainians