Power and heating plants hit at -25°C (-13°F): Full impact of Russian attack on Kyiv, Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities
Ukraine energy infrastructure hit again overnight (photo: Getty Images)
During the coldest days of this winter, Russia launched a massive strike on combined heat and power plants and thermal power plants that supplied heating to Ukrainian cities. Attack across eight regions came in waves, ranging from drones and ballistic missiles to cruise missiles.
Consequences of the massive Russian strike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on the night of February 3 are detailed in the RBC-Ukraine report.
Key points:
- Eight regions of Ukraine were hit. Attacks were carried out in waves. Combined heat and power plants and thermal power plants were targeted. Damage was reported
- Kyiv: two injured, 1,170 buildings without heating, residential buildings damaged, partial emergency power outages
- Kyiv region: one man injured, houses and vehicles damaged
- Kharkiv: two injured, incidents at energy facilities, 820 buildings without heating, resilience centers being deployed
- Sumy: attacks on apartment buildings, fires, and disrupted heat supply
- Dnipro: infrastructure and residential buildings damaged, fires in the region
- Vinnytsia region: attacks on critical infrastructure, 50 communities without electricity
- Odesa region: more than 50,000 people without power, critical infrastructure operating on generators
Strikes on combined heat and power plants and thermal power plants at -25°C (-13°F)
The enemy attack was carried out in waves. First, Russia used Shahed drones and ballistic missiles. Later in the morning, cruise missiles launched from the sea and from strategic aviation entered Ukrainian airspace.
Ukraine's energy sector was once again hit. Russia again attacked thermal power plants operated by DTEK (Ukraine's largest private energy company), the company said. As a result of the attack, equipment at thermal power plants was seriously damaged.
This was already the ninth massive attack on the company's thermal power plants since October 2025.
According to Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, Russia struck apartment buildings and combined heat and power plants, and thermal power plants that were operating exclusively in heating mode for districts in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro.
Eight regions of Ukraine were hit. Attacks were carried out using several types of ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, as well as drones.
"Targets were exclusively civilian: hundreds of thousands of families, including children, were deliberately left without heat during the harshest winter frosts, when the outside temperature was minus 25 degrees Celsius," the minister stressed.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also emphasized that this was a targeted strike by the enemy specifically against energy facilities. Russian forces launched a significant number of ballistic missiles in combination with other missiles — more than 70 missiles and 450 attack drones.
Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Kyiv region, and the capital, Dnipro region, Odesa region, and Vinnytsia region were hit. As of now, nine people are known to have been injured as a result of the attack.
Kyiv
Two people were injured in the capital.
Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts are mostly without heating as a result of an overnight attack on the infrastructure. These same districts are also partially experiencing emergency power outages. Scheduled outages remain in effect on the right bank.
Overall, 1,170 apartment buildings across the city are currently without a heat supply.
In addition, a five-story residential building was damaged in the Dniprovskyi district. In Darnytskyi district, a 26-story residential building caught fire.
The temperature in Ukraine is below -20°C (-4°F). Overnight, Russia attacked with 450 drones and over 60 missiles, including ballistic ones.
— Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) February 3, 2026
Primary targets: energy and residential houses in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa, and other regions.
Putin waited for the… pic.twitter.com/472hClO1LJ
Drone debris also fell on the territory of a kindergarten.
In the Pecherskyi district, a gas station building, four vehicles, and power lines were damaged.
An unmanned aerial vehicle struck a 22-story residential building at levels of the 16th and 17th floors in the Shevchenkivskyi district.
photo: Kyiv State Emergency Service
Municipal services and energy workers have begun restoration work. Repairs are also ongoing in buildings that had no heating before.
Kyiv region
A 51-year-old man was injured. Energy infrastructure and residential homes were targeted during the attack.
photo: National Police of Ukraine
Two private houses and a vehicle were also damaged.
Kharkiv
Two people were reported injured. An emergency occurred at energy facilities. To prevent the network from freezing, water will be drained in 820 buildings supplied by one of the largest combined heat and power plants.
"I understand how difficult this is in twenty-degree frost. But an unprecedented enemy attack on critical infrastructure leaves no other option. Our specialists see no alternative," said Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
More than 100 resilience centers are being deployed. In the region, in the Lozova community, more than 16,000 residents are without heating.
There are disruptions in the operation of the city's electric transport. To prevent the city from coming to a standstill, additional bus routes have been launched.
Sumy
There were strikes on apartment buildings in the Zarichnyi district of the city on different streets. As a result of the first strike on the seventh floor of a multi-story building, the heat supply in the building was damaged, and up to 10 windows were shattered.
Another strike was recorded on the fourth floor of another building. As a result of the attack, a fire broke out, and a balcony and windows were damaged.
In Konotop, Sumy region, one private residential house was destroyed.
Dnipro
In the city of Dnipro, an infrastructure facility, two private residential houses, a three-story residential building, and a dormitory were damaged.
photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region
Loud explosions were also reported in Rozdorska and Raivska communities of Synelnykove district and in the town of Synelnykove itself. A fire broke out. Infrastructure, a private enterprise, a garage, and vehicles were damaged.
Vinnytsia region
Strikes hit critical infrastructure facilities. Firefighting operations are underway.
As a result of the attack, 50 settlements were left without electricity. Energy workers are working to restore the power supply.
Odesa region
Attacks targeted energy and civilian infrastructure in the south of the region. As a result of the attack, more than 50,000 residents were temporarily left without electricity.
Three residential buildings were damaged, as well as a warehouse and administrative premises, and passenger vehicles.
Critical infrastructure is operating on generators.
Energy truce
The enemy carried out another massive attack on Ukraine's energy sector on the eve of the next round of peace talks in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for February 4–5.
The previous round of talks took place in the United Arab Emirates on January 23–24. At that time, Ukraine, Russia, and the United States sat down for trilateral talks for the first time in a long time. Following the talks, the parties announced that agreements had been reached regarding the so-called energy truce.
The initiative, as reported, came from United States President Donald Trump, who addressed a corresponding request to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
According to a statement by the White House, the Russian leader agreed to temporarily refrain from strikes on Ukrainian cities during the period of severe frost, for one week.
At the same time, Moscow confirmed readiness to refrain from attacks on Kyiv, but with a time limitation — only until February 1.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for his part, noted that the countdown of the energy truce began on the night of January 31. He called it an initiative rather than an agreement and emphasized that Kyiv is ready to act in a mirror manner and refrain from strikes on the Russian energy sector if Russia also refrains from attacks.
Previous enemy strikes have already led to an energy crisis in Ukraine capital. The Troieshchyna residential area, located on the northern left bank of Kyiv and administratively part of the Desnianskyi district, has been without heating for a long time during the harsh winter. Electric transport is not operating in the area. Kyiv residents are living under conditions of strict power outages.
