Mayor says thousands of Kyiv high-rises left without heating after Russian strikes

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed at least one person and left over 5,600 high-rise buildings without heating, officials said on Tuesday.

"After this attack on the capital, 5,635 high-rise buildings are without heat," Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, adding that power in almost 80% of the affected buildings had been restored on Jan. 9.

Klitschko said the city’s left bank is currently without water supply, while social infrastructure facilities are switching to autonomous power sources due to disruptions.

In the Bucha district, a man was killed in a "massive attack," according to Mykola Kalashnyk, the governor of Kyiv region. Two gas filling stations were also damaged, Kalashnyk said, adding that emergency crews were unable to save the victim who died at the scene.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered accelerated electricity imports as the country battles a state of emergency driven by extreme weather and Russian strikes.

The Jan. 9 bombardment had left nearly 6,000 apartment buildings in the capital without heating, prompting Klitschko to urge residents to temporarily evacuate.

Russia said the attack was carried out in response to an attempted drone strike by Ukraine on President Vladimir Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region late last year.

Kyiv immediately denied the claims, arguing the accusations seek to undermine diplomatic efforts to end the war.