Darnytska CHP

The winter of 2025—2026 has become the harshest Ukrainians have faced since Russia launched its full-scale invasion — and, by many measures, since Ukraine gained independence. Russian forces have targeted not only power stations but also heat-generation facilities that supply cities with hot water and heating. As a result, beyond the expected electricity shortages, heating itself has become one of the most painful problems of the season.

Power engineers in Kyiv have increased electricity supply capacity to homes in the hardest-hit Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi districts, limiting outages to specific hours, energy company DTEK reported on Feb. 6.

Kyiv’s Darnytsia thermal power plant, which supplies heat to about 300,000 families as well as kindergartens, schools and hospitals, was nearly destroyed in a massive Russian strike on energy infrastructure during a night of severe frost on Feb. 3.