As millions of Ukrainians endure the winter cold amid blackouts caused by repeated Russian strikes on power plants, Kyiv authorities announced on Friday that schools in the capital would close until February — one of the most severe disruptions yet to daily life.
Announcing the closures in a post on social media, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said his top priority was “the safety of children.” Also on Friday, he said that about 70 multistory buildings in Kyiv remained without heat, a week after Russia bombarded heating and electrical infrastructure in and around the capital, while many others, including schools, have operated with limited heat and rolling power outages.
Kyiv, home to about three million people, has been among the Ukrainian cities hardest hit by Russia’s attacks this year on energy infrastructure, including power plants, gas storage facilities and electricity substations. The strikes aim to undermine civilians’ morale and pressure the government into concessions in peace talks brokered by the Trump administration.
Russia has targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure in past winters, but Ukrainians managed to cope with the attacks thanks to round-the-clock repairs on the grid and assistance from Western allies. This year, however, Russia intensified its attacks as temperatures in Ukraine plunged well below freezing. Ukraine’s new energy minister, Denys Shmyhal, said this week that not a single power plant had been spared in the attacks.
Outages in Kyiv, which lasted a few hours in mid-December, can now stretch up to a full day, while heating supplies have dwindled across most buildings. Diesel generators and battery backups, tools Ukrainians relied on in past winters to tide them over during the briefer power cuts, are no longer enough. As a response, authorities have set up tents and public premises where residents can warm themselves, use electricity and get hot drinks.
Ukrainian authorities have long tried to shield public buildings — schools, local government offices and subway stations — from the blackouts to keep essential services running.
But on Friday afternoon, Mr. Klitschko hinted at the growing strain, saying, “the situation with the energy supply, which affects the provision of communal services, remains very difficult.” Less than three hours later, he announced the school closures.
Olena Kozachenko, a 36-year-old mother in Kyiv, welcomed the decision. She said her 7-year-old son, Yaromyr, had been sitting through classes in the cold, with some classrooms barely 12 degrees Celsius, or about 53 degrees Fahrenheit. She sent her son to school wearing thermal underwear, warm winter pants and a sweater.
“We dress him warmly, extra warm, so that he doesn’t get sick,” she said in a phone interview.
Ms. Kozachenko added that with the school cafeteria affected by regular outages, students had no hot food. “That means children eat dry cheese sandwiches for breakfast and basically drink cold juice,” she said. “And that’s it.”
Ms. Kozachenko said her son would be better off at home, where their heating relies not on electricity but on a boiler installed near their building. While her family experiences power outages of 12 to 16 hours a day, she said, they manage with power banks and batteries and have a gas oven to cook meals. “So, for basic daily life, everything is there,” she said.
Mr. Klitschko said the school closure would be made up with extra classes during spring and summer vacations, when warmer temperatures and longer daylight will make it easier to cope with any remaining blackouts.
Local authorities in Kyiv also announced on Friday that they would restrict outdoor lighting. Streetlights will run at reduced capacity, decorative and architectural lighting will be turned off, and advertising signs will be limited.
Olha Konovalova contributed reporting.
Constant Méheut reports on the war in Ukraine, including battlefield developments, attacks on civilian centers and how the war is affecting its people.
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