In the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, volunteers are distributing hot soup to wrapped-up residents braving sub-zero temperatures while waiting in line. Among those receiving aid is 37-year-old Yuliia Dolotova, a mother caring for her two children, including her 18-month-old son, Bohdanchyk. Bundled tightly against the severe cold, they join others who cannot prepare meals at home due to ongoing power outages.
“All day long, there’s no electricity, no way to cook food for the kids,” Dolotova explained. “Pretty much everyone is in this situation.” She resides in Troieshchyna, one of Kyiv’s most severely affected areas by the repeated Russian attacks that have persisted since the full-scale invasion began four years ago.
The Russian military has employed drones and missiles to target Ukraine’s power grid repeatedly. These attacks have disabled electrical and heating services, leaving hundreds of thousands in the region without essential utilities amid temperatures plummeting to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit). Forecasts indicate the cold weather will continue for several weeks, intensifying the residents’ struggles.
In addition to electricity loss, water pipes in Dolotova’s district have frozen and burst due to the absence of heat, further complicating daily life and access to water. The damage sustained to the power grid and energy generation stations has reached levels not seen since the onset of the conflict. Repair efforts by utility and energy crews are constantly undermined as new strikes occur shortly after partial restorations, forcing repeated repairs and outages.
Dolotova’s circumstances are further compounded by the absence of her husband, who is serving in the eastern front of the conflict and has only seen their youngest son twice since birth. She is the primary caretaker for her children, including her older son, 11-year-old Daniil, and also manages the family dog, which rarely leaves their apartment due to harsh conditions.
Nighttime plunges the building, a Soviet-era apartment block, into complete darkness. Navigating without power, Dolotova’s toddler learned to hold her cellphone with its flashlight on as she carries his stroller up six flights of stairs—a stairwell that has already caused the destruction of two strollers. Inside their apartment, she switches on battery-powered lamps to provide some light.
At bedtime, the two children huddle close for warmth near frosted windows, playing quietly by flashlight. To combat the cold, Dolotova insulates their bed with foam rubber in an effort to keep them warm through the freezing nights.
Her husband is currently stationed in the volatile Zaporizhzhia region. “He should be coming soon. I live from leave to leave,” she remarked. “I wait for him—that’s what keeps me going. You tell yourself, just a little longer, and he’ll come. You count the days.”