In January 2026, renewed attacks by Russian forces on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure left millions of Ukrainians without electricity and heat during severe frosts. The UN monitoring mission reports that due to large-scale power and heat outages, “another crisis within a crisis has begun” and people are at the limit of their endurance. The lack of heat, water and normal living conditions exacerbated the needs of the population and put enormous pressure on the health care system. According to estimates by humanitarian organisations, around 10.8 million Ukrainians may need assistance in 2026, and approximately $2.3 billion will be needed to support the 4.1 million most vulnerable.
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Large-scale attacks on the power grid
In January, Russian troops carried out almost daily attacks on electricity, heating and water supply facilities in various regions of Ukraine. Key elements of the energy system were damaged in at least 17 regions and in Kyiv. Electricity production fell, and the country faced prolonged large-scale blackouts — as a result of the attacks, millions of people had access to electricity for only a few hours a day. A number of strategic heat supply facilities were also hit. In Kyiv, rockets and drones hit thermal power plants, each time causing the heating to be cut off in almost 6,000 high-rise buildings. The authorities reported that the scale of the damage was so great that more than 1,100 buildings would not be connected to central heating this season.
Consequences for the population and health care
Massive power and heat outages have seriously affected people’s lives. Due to the drop in temperature in apartments, some families were forced to leave their homes. Hospitals and clinics postponed surgeries and scheduled procedures due to power shortages. Many schools suspended operations for a time due to the cold and darkness. The UN notes that the most vulnerable groups were most affected by the outages: families with young children survived without the ability to cook food and heat their homes, and people with disabilities were cut off from social services – lifts in buildings did not work, and some patients were transferred to hospitals. Medical facilities need additional autonomous power sources and fuel to maintain life support systems.
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Response from the authorities and assistance to healthcare institutions
The authorities and partners quickly stepped up their support for the medical sector. Health Minister Viktor Lyashko stressed that the key task was to maintain continuity of care. To this end, hospitals were equipped with backup power and heat sources. In particular, 120 generators of various capacities, 18 autonomous boiler rooms and 18 wells were installed in the network of capable hospitals in Kyiv. In January 2026, four additional backup generators were installed in the capital’s hospitals in cooperation with energy agencies. With the support of the WHO and other donors, dozens of mobile generators and heaters were delivered to hospitals across the country before the onset of winter so that they could operate autonomously. In total, since the start of the war, around 248 backup generators have been delivered to Ukrainian hospitals, 13 of which were delivered in autumn–December 2025 (five for Kyiv). It is now critically important to ensure the supply of fuel for these backup systems.
International aid and plans for 2026
The UN and its partners have approved the Humanitarian Needs Plan for 2026, which provides for support to 4.1 million of the most vulnerable people and requires approximately $2.3 billion. It is estimated that approximately 10.8 million Ukrainians will need humanitarian assistance. International medical organisations have also made appeals. The WHO has stated that the latest attacks on the energy sector have already significantly reduced electricity generation and are increasingly disrupting the work of medical facilities. It announced a $42 million fundraising campaign for 2026 to strengthen emergency and primary care, patient evacuation and long-term health support for the population. The synergy of actions by the state, non-governmental and international organisations is aimed at ensuring that even in the event of power cuts, people do not lose access to the necessary assistance.
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