Kyiv is continuing emergency repair work to restore heating after a failure in the energy system, Ukraine’s Minister for Communities and Territorial Development Oleksii Kuleba said on Sunday.
The outage comes amid a broader energy crisis caused by repeated Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power generation, substations, and heating infrastructure during the winter months. The attacks have led to rolling blackouts and emergency heating failures in Kyiv and other major cities.
Heating has been restored to more than 2,700 residential buildings since Monday evening. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that over 500 buildings remain without heat, with Kuleba noting the most difficult situation in the Solomianskyi and Pecherskyi districts of the city.
Zelenskyy criticizes pace of response
Zelenskyy said the situation with heating in Kyiv remains extremely difficult and criticized the pace of the response.
“This cannot be perceived as normal,” Zelenskyy said, adding that “the measures being taken in the city are not sufficient.”
Zelenskyy said cogeneration capacity is being added in Kyiv Oblast almost daily and called it critical for stabilizing heating. About 5,000 thermal kits are being distributed across the region each day with support from state energy company Naftogaz, and the program will be expanded.
Reinforcements deployed to speed recovery
Kuleba said 114 additional repair teams have been deployed to speed up recovery in Kyiv, involving more than 500 workers. Specialists from other regions and from Ukrzaliznytsia are also assisting.
Sixty-nine mobile boiler units have been brought in to supply heat to hospitals, maternity wards, and designated emergency support centers - “Points of Invincibility”. Water supply and sewage systems in the city are operating normally, the minister added.
Zelenskyy also said more residents are turning to warming centers and assistance points, where hot meals and support are provided. He urged city authorities to work faster with national agencies so residents can receive timely assistance and clear information.
