Kyiv recovers after heavy shelling: Life in cold apartments and without power

Windows shattered, cars burnt, and facades damaged — Kyiv is recovering from another night of airstrikes. While emergency teams in Shuliavka work to put out fires caused by a drone strike, residents in the Dniprovskyi district are now on their fourth day trying to heat their homes after the missile attack on 9 January.

TSN correspondent Alina Lisova reported on how Kyiv residents cope in damaged buildings.

Solomyanskyi district: burnt yards and damaged civilian structures

The night "Shahed" attack left new damage in Kyiv’s Shuliavka area. In the Solomyansky district, a Russian drone hit a civilian building, causing a major fire that firefighters fought for several hours.

In another part of the district, debris fell directly into the courtyard of apartment buildings. The explosion damaged more than ten parked cars and broke windows in residents’ homes.

Dniprovskyi district: boarded-up windows and “+12°C” inside apartments

At a residential complex in the Dniprovskyi district, affected by the 9 January attack, residents are clearing the area themselves and boarding up windows with plywood.

A resident said: "My window was blown out during the strike. When it hit, I ran to the bathroom and fragments flew into the washing machine and got stuck there. Heating was restored the same day, but electricity is unstable, water is available,” he said.

Despite the restoration of utilities, apartments where glass has been replaced with plastic film and plywood remain cold.

Another resident said: “We live a couple of entrances away, we were in the basement — we were lucky. We live on the 16th floor and it’s about +12 degrees Celsius now, so we’re adapting.”

In neighbouring buildings, conditions are even tougher. Some entrances have been without heating for a fourth consecutive day. Families are forced to stay in a single room to preserve minimal warmth.

A father with a child says they live in the fourth entrance. “The explosion wasn’t felt as much, but the lack of heating is a problem. We wrap ourselves up and live in one room,” he said.

Medicine running on generators

Despite the damage, Kyiv businesses and medical facilities have continued operating. A private clinic whose windows were blown out has already resumed treating patients.

Clinic staff said operations were restored quickly. “By 10 a.m. we were already boarding up the windows. We can already receive patients. We are operating on a generator and batteries — it works, but only for five to six hours,” they said.

The large-scale drone and missile attack caused significant damage to Kyiv’s infrastructure. The most difficult situation with restoring electricity and heating remains on the city’s left bank.