Russian strikes knock out heat in freezing Kyiv as peace talks continue

KYIV — Thousands of apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv remain without heating, electricity and water once again, after Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukraine’s two largest cities early Saturday morning.

“Every such Russian strike on our energy infrastructure shows that there must be no delays in supplying air defense,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “We are counting on the reaction and assistance of all our allies.”

The strikes killed at least one person and injured four others, said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The assault came as envoys from Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. held tripartite talks in the United Arab Emirates on ending Russia’s long war on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said in a post on social media that the talks were “constructive” and that military representatives brought up issues to discuss.

“Provided there is readiness to move forward — and Ukraine is ready — further meetings will take place, potentially as early as next week,” he wrote.

Despite the talks, Russia has continued to strike Ukraine’s energy grid, inflicting severe damage during the coldest winter since the full-scale invasion nearly four years ago. Temperatures in Kyiv have often dipped below -10C (14F).

NPR’s bureau heard several attack drones flying over Kyiv early Saturday morning, along with air defense units trying to shoot them down. Explosions continued for several hours.

Writing on social media, Klitschko said that half of Kyiv’s apartment buildings had been left without heating after the strikes. Many residents had only recently regained heat after earlier attacks on Jan. 9 and Jan. 20 left them in the cold.

Kyiv relies on a massive centralized district heating system that supplies heat to thousands of apartment buildings, some as high as 25 stories.

Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Energy Industry Research Center in Kyiv, says this system pumps hot water through pipes to heat them and includes plants that generate both heat and electricity. He said Russian strikes have damaged these plants and pumps, causing water to freeze and burst pipes.

“The target was to kill the city … to freeze the city,” Kharchenko told NPR, referring to the Russian attacks. “And to push (people) out of the city.”

Energy and utility workers have been repairing damage to the city’s energy grid around the clock for weeks.

“To rebuild a new one during the war time is impossible,” Klitschko, the Kyiv mayor, told NPR on Thursday. “We need a lot of money and time for that.”

He said Kyiv has been preparing to decentralize the grid but that effort will take time. “To defend from a Russian attack,” he said, “what we need is air defense.”

Russia also struck Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, in the overnight attacks early Saturday. Local authorities said more than two dozen people were injured.