Cold instead of the front: how Kharkiv and Odessa survive in the energy war

This material is based on a report by Eduard Dox, January 28, 2026, specially for the publication “Vesti”, prepared in Kyiv. The editorial team retells and structures eyewitness accounts, preserving the texture and voices of people who found themselves at the epicenter of the energy crisis.

The story of Yevgenia Besfamilnaya — a Kyiv pensioner who survived the Holocaust and died in her own apartment on January 27 — became a symbol of what winter in Ukraine has turned into. After this tragedy, the conversation about the war ceased to be solely military. It became domestic, icy, and deadly specific.

In the winter of 2026, Ukraine is experiencing the most severe energy crisis since the beginning of the full-scale war. Systematic strikes by the Russian army on civilian infrastructure have deprived millions of people of electricity, heat, and water. These basic things are no longer perceived as the norm — they have become a variable dependent on the next attack.

This is especially acutely felt in Kharkiv and Odesa — cities with different geographies of war but equally severe humanitarian consequences.

In Kharkiv, the situation remains one of the most difficult in the country. After another night of strikes on energy facilities, up to 80% of the city was left without stable power supply. Transport stoppages, water and communication disruptions, and lack of heating in residential areas have become part of everyday life.

Emergency crews work around the clock. Backup power sources are used, but restoration is constantly disrupted by new shelling. The city lives in a repetitive rhythm: attack — restoration — new attack. Authorities ask to conserve resources and follow official information, understanding that the situation changes literally by the hour.

Against this backdrop, communities take on a special role. The Jewish community of Kharkiv has been supporting the elderly, families with children, and those who could not leave for the fourth year of the war. Educational classes in the synagogue basement, food packages, warm jackets, and blankets are more important today than any formal reporting.

According to community representatives, the diesel generator in the synagogue often becomes the only source of light and heat. At the same time, the work of Kharkiv’s energy workers and utility workers is emphasized: despite constant strikes, they repeatedly restore the destroyed system.

In Odesa, the picture is different in form but not in essence. The city is far from the front line but is subjected to regular strikes. After one of the latest attacks, residential buildings in the center were damaged, and dozens of people were injured. The strikes hit energy infrastructure, leading to mass outages.

In several districts, light, heating, water, and communication disappear simultaneously. Power supply is provided through backup schemes, with constant interruptions. Critical infrastructure receives priority, but for ordinary apartments, this means cold and darkness.

The most vulnerable are the elderly and displaced persons. 89-year-old Odesa resident Semen Vainblat, a poet and translator, recalls that electricity in his area is provided for only a few hours a day. The batteries are barely warm, water has to be conserved, and they keep warm in outerwear and under several blankets.

He remembers World War II well but admits: the current one differs in the scale of destruction technologies. Ballistic missiles, drones, targeted strikes on infrastructure make winter a weapon. There are no shelters in his area, so he and his wife follow the “two walls” rule, staying home even during alerts.

Survival is aided by the help of charitable organizations: food, medicine, and where possible — coal and firewood. After a recent operation, Semen hardly leaves the house, and all household chores have fallen on his wife’s shoulders.

Among Odesa residents, there are many displaced persons. Vladimir and Tatyana Fedorov left Kherson in the fall of 2022, after months of living under occupation. Their home was damaged by shelling, and their dog died of a heart attack due to constant explosions. They planned to stay in Odesa for a short time but have been living there for the fourth year.

Today, their pensions barely cover rent and utilities. Free transport for pensioners does not run due to the energy crisis, and minibuses have become a luxury. There have been cases when there was no electricity for four days in a row — with sub-zero temperatures in the apartment. They keep warm with hot water bottles, heaters, and whatever can be cooked on the stove — food here has also become a way to keep warm.

Odesa resident Margarita confirms: many areas are without light and heat, women refuel generators themselves — there are not enough men. Shops allow charging phones and drinking hot tea. This is often the only support.

She admits that state assistance is hardly felt. Utility accidents occur constantly, and it is difficult to eliminate them due to shelling and a lack of specialists. “The city relies on people and mutual aid. But for how long?” — this question is heard more and more often here.

The energy war has turned winter into a test of endurance, where the front line runs through kitchens, bedrooms, and entrances. This text is a retelling of a report by Eduard Dox for “Vesti,” supplemented with editorial context for the Israeli audience. It is such human stories that explain why what is happening in Ukraine cannot be perceived as abstract geopolitics, as consistently reported by NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency.