After latest Russian attacks on heating, Children in Ukraine risk hypothermia, UNICEF and aid groups say

 

Children in Ukraine risk hypothermia after Russian attacks, UNICEF and aid groups say

ABC News, 16 January 2026

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International aid agencies warn that children across Ukraine face hypothermia risk in freezing temperatures as emergency power generator stocks run low following Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. 

UNICEF reports a race against time to restore water and heating services damaged by missile and drone attacks as the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches. Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF's Representative in Ukraine said, "Children and families are in constant survival mode." 

Families are in constant survival mode, with temperatures dropping to minus 18 degrees Celsius at night. Some families are stuffing windows with soft toys to block freezing cold. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared a state of emergency in the energy sector on Wednesday, with 400,000 people left without electricity in Kharkiv after Russian aerial attacks. Engineers and rescue crews work in sub-zero temperatures to restore operations at battered power plants and substations. 

Kyiv and frontline regions face the harshest conditions, with thousands of homes left without electricity or heating for days. Pre-positioned stockpiles of sleeping kits, generators and repair materials are running low due to increasing need and limited funding. 

UNICEF is providing high-capacity generators to support heating and water supplies to hospitals and schools but calls for more funding. Meanwhile, Ukrainian negotiators are en route to the US for talks on security guarantees and a post-war recovery package, with hopes documents could be signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos next week.

Quotes

"Without heat, people are at high risk for hypothermia, frostbite and respiratory illnesses," said Jaime Wah, Deputy Head of Delegation in Kyiv for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

"It's unbearable to live in apartments with no heating or electricity. Families (in Kyiv) are resorting to consider leaving the city."