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New Russian Attacks Leave Kyiv Residents in Freezing Conditions
Russia has launched another major assault on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, using drones and missiles to target critical infrastructure and leaving thousands of residential buildings without heating during one of the coldest winters in decades. The overnight attacks on January 20, 2026, killed at least one person and caused extensive damage across the city, with fires breaking out and power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of residents.
Critical Infrastructure Under Attack
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 5,635 residential complexes lost heating due to the latest attacks. 'Nearly 80 percent of these are buildings where heating had been restored after January 9,' Klitschko stated, referring to previous devastating attacks on the city's infrastructure. The mayor had previously urged residents to leave the city temporarily after the January 9 attacks, which involved 242 drones and 36 missiles targeting critical infrastructure.
Currently, more than 335,000 Kyiv residents are without electricity, and the left bank of the city remains without water. 'Utility workers are working to restore the supply of heat, water and electricity,' Klitschko added in his update. Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure throughout the winter, with temperatures dropping to -15°C (5°F) overnight.
Winter Warfare Strategy
These attacks represent a deliberate Russian strategy to use winter conditions as a weapon against Ukrainian civilians. As reported by CNN, Ukrainians are enduring one of their toughest winters in 20 years, with indoor temperatures falling to just 10°C (50°F) in some apartments. The United Nations estimates that 10.8 million people need humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, with a $2.31 billion appeal launched for 2026.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Sybiha called the latest 'barbaric attack' a wake-up call for world leaders attending the World Economic Forum in Davos. 'This must serve as a reminder that Ukraine needs continued support to defend itself and its people,' Sybiha emphasized.
New Defense Tactics and International Response
President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned of new waves of massive air attacks by Russia and announced new defense tactics involving smaller mobile groups using drones to intercept Russian drones and missiles. 'We are preparing for the worst while hoping for the best,' Zelensky stated in his address to the nation.
The attacks also affected neighboring countries, with airports in Lublin and Rzeszow, Poland, briefly closing airspace near the Ukrainian border. Polish authorities described this as a standard procedure to allow military aircraft to operate safely.
According to Kyiv Independent, this represents the most severe impact to date due to cumulative damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure over years of attacks. Energy analysts note that Russia appears to be strategically targeting Ukraine's grid to disconnect industrial eastern regions from power generation centers in western areas.
The situation is exacerbated by shortages of critical spare parts, ice-covered infrastructure making repairs 2-4 times more difficult, and Russia's improved targeting capabilities with thousands of drones. Emergency services have established heating tents and deployed generators while forming a dedicated energy response unit to address the crisis.
