Dec 16, 2025 – DTEK powers 5.6 million people but operates in “permanent crisis mode” as Russian drones, cruise and ballistic missiles strike its grid every three‑four days, causing multi‑day blackouts in Odesa, $166 million in repair costs and the death of eight engineers [4].

1990s – present – Ukraine inherits a Soviet‑era centralized heating system that serves about 11 million households through “panelki” and “khrushchevki” blocks, a network not designed to survive missile or drone attacks [1].

Jan 2, 2026 – Rolling blackouts hit western Ukraine for up to 16 hours, forcing families like Liudmyla Shramko’s to rely on portable power stations after December strikes leave more than 40 % of Kyiv’s residential buildings without heat and average 9.5 hours of daily outage [8].

Jan 8, 2026 – Russian strikes wipe power from the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions; hospitals switch to generators, schools extend holidays to Jan 9, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko warns of “extremely difficult conditions,” and DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko declares the company in “permanent crisis mode” [3].

Jan 9, 2026 – A coordinated missile and drone barrage hits Kyiv’s heating network, cutting heat to thousands of high‑rise apartments; by later in the month Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko reports that roughly 80 % of the affected buildings have their heating restored [10].

Jan 11, 2026 – Kyiv restores heat to about 85 % of apartment blocks after a week‑long outage that left roughly 700 000 consumers without power; Prime Minister Svyrydenko says Russia targets energy infrastructure daily, and the national grid orders an emergency cut to stabilize the system [7].

Jan 13, 2026 – Russia launches a second major strike on Ukraine’s power grid, deploying almost 300 drones, 18 ballistic and seven cruise missiles; the attack knocks out electricity for hundreds of thousands in the Kyiv region, leaves over 500 residential buildings without heating, and prompts a U.N. Security Council emergency meeting where the United States condemns the escalation [13].

Jan 13, 2026 – Additional Russian raids hit Kyiv with more than 300 drones and missiles, cutting power to hundreds of thousands, disabling heating in about 500 high‑rise buildings, and causing civilian casualties in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia; Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov warns of possible evacuations after a Ukrainian strike cuts power to 600 000 people across the Russian border [6].

Jan 14, 2026 – Kyiv deploys “Invincibility Trains” on a suburban platform to provide warmth, food and charging stations for residents cut off from power; President Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Russia of exploiting the bitter winter, while Mayor Klitschko urges those who can to evacuate the capital [2].

Jan 15, 2026 – Energy crews race around the Kyiv region to repair burned‑out lines, restoring only about four hours of electricity each day before demand triggers another collapse; officials describe the outages as the longest and broadest since the 2022 invasion [11].

Jan 16, 2026 – Emergency tents in Kyiv and nearby towns offer heat, hot drinks and device charging as power crews continue repairs; electricians replace a transformer burned out by a voltage surge, and the emergency service distributes free food to affected families [12].

Jan 20, 2026 – Russia launches over 300 drones and missiles at Ukraine’s grid, cutting heat to more than 5 600 Kyiv apartments (nearly 80 % later restored) and prompting air defenses to down 27 missiles and 315 drones; the same day Ukraine’s peace‑talks delegation lands in the United States and Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev prepares to meet U.S. officials at the upcoming Davos summit [10].

Jan 24, 2026 – Russia intensifies attacks on Soviet‑era central heating plants, leaving roughly 6 000 Kyiv apartments without heat; analysts label the strikes a new Russian tactic aimed at pressuring negotiations, and the Ukrainian government announces plans to mandate private heating units for apartment blocks [1].

Jan 24, 2026 – Kyiv residents endure daily blackouts of up to 17.5 hours; 53‑year‑old Olena Janchuk climbs 650 steps each day to heat her 19th‑floor flat with a brick fireplace and a power‑bank‑fed electric blanket, while disability groups demand generators for high‑rise towers and a World Bank‑UN estimate puts damage to Ukraine’s energy sector at over $20 billion [9].

Feb 3, 2026 – Russia resumes its largest night strike of the year, firing 70 missiles and 450 drones at six oblasts, cutting heat to nearly 1 200 high‑rise buildings in Kyiv and leaving over 50 000 people without electricity in Odesa; DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko says the firm operates in “survival mode,” and the Kremlin confirms the next round of Russia‑Ukraine‑U.S. talks will take place Wednesday‑Thursday in Abu Dhabi to discuss extending the ceasefire [5].