Watch: Kyiv is freezing — would you survive in -20C without heating?

Published on
02/02/2026 – 15:39 GMT+1

When the power goes out at these temperatures, it is not just the lights that die.

Without electricity, the water pumps stop working, cutting off water supply.

Without heat, the pipes inside buildings freeze and burst, causing long-term damage that can’t be fixed until spring.

And electric heaters? They are useless without a grid to power them.

And in this war, the energy grid has effectively become the “Fourth Front”.

Ukraine’s system is battered. This is the result of Russia’s almost-four-year campaign targeting critical infrastructure. The damage is now so significant that even without a new strikes, civilians are fighting a daily battle just to survive the cold.

The EU is sending Ukrainians hundreds of emergency power generators and Brussels is declaring it will not let Ukraine freeze.

And it is not only states that are helping, as European NGOs and volunteers are also supporting the most vulnerable on the ground.

But generators cannot stop missiles or drones.

And according to Kyiv, in January alone, Russia launched 6,000 drones and over 5,000 bombs, targeting Ukraine’s energy and railway infrastructure.

And the cold, as well as Russian attacks, shows no sign of ending soon.

Watch the Euronews video in the player above for the full story.