Ukraine is grappling with a worsening humanitarian crisis after a series of nationwide attacks severely damaged civilian infrastructure, leaving millions without reliable electricity, heating and water as temperatures plunge below zero.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), strikes since 26 December have caused widespread disruption, with nearly 100 civilian casualties reported across the country.
The most severe impact was felt in Kyiv City, where a large-scale attack on 27 December killed and injured several people. Energy facilities, residential buildings, a preschool, a university dormitory, shops and civilian vehicles were among the sites damaged.
An energy company reported that more than one million homes in and around Kyiv lost power following the strikes. Water supplies were disrupted and roughly one third of the capital’s population was left without heating at the height of winter.
Although electricity has since been restored to nearly 750,000 households in Kyiv and 350,000 in the surrounding Kyivska region, heating remains unreliable due to emergency and scheduled outages.
The wave of attacks also struck Chernihiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy and Odesa, causing further casualties and damaging homes, schools and essential infrastructure.
Humanitarian partners have responded by setting up warming tents where residents can seek shelter, receive food, charge mobile phones and access basic assistance.
The strikes come amid mounting pressure on essential services. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Ukraine accounted for 42 percent of all attacks on healthcare globally in 2025. Out of more than 1,000 incidents worldwide, 561 occurred in Ukraine, resulting in 19 deaths and 201 injuries.
Over the weekend, another health facility was damaged in a strike on the town of Izmail in the Odesa region, underscoring the ongoing risks to civilians and medical services as winter conditions intensify.
With temperatures continuing to fall, humanitarian agencies warn that the disruption of heating and healthcare services could have devastating consequences for vulnerable communities.
The situation highlights the urgent need for sustained international support to protect civilians and maintain essential services during the harsh winter months.
Sources: UN OCHA, WHO, Reuters, Al Jazeera
