Over half of Kyiv still lacks power after strikes, Zelensky says

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KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that around 4,000 buildings in Kyiv were still without heating, and most of the capital was cut off from electricity after Russian strikes earlier in the week.

Russia has hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure throughout the nearly four-year war, but Kyiv says this winter has been the toughest yet, with hundreds of Russian drones and missiles overwhelming air defences during particularly fierce frosts.

"As of this morning, about 4,000 buildings in Kyiv are still without heat, and nearly 60 percent of the capital is without electricity," Zelensky said, after Russia pounded Ukraine's energy grid between Monday and Tuesday.

The situation also remained difficult across the country, including in the Sumy, Chernigiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv regions, he added.

Zelensky announced a "state of emergency" in the country's energy sector last week, with Kyiv schools remaining closed, street lights dimmed, and roughly half a million residents leaving the capital.

AFP journalists in Kyiv have seen shops and restaurants closed due to the outages, out-of-order traffic lights, and public lighting shut off at night in parts of the capital.

More than 1,000 Ukrainians have been taken to hospital with frostbite and hypothermia over the past 30 days, the health ministry said, adding that the situation could "become threatening if temperatures drop or weather conditions worsen".

Germany called the Russian winter airstrikes against energy infrastructure "war crimes".

Zelensky has repeatedly criticised Kyiv city hall, led by Vitali Klitschko, a former boxing champion and political rival, for not doing enough to aid the recovery.

"According to reports from city authorities, the resources involved are sufficient, but time is needed. I do not agree with this assessment –- additional measures and additional resources are needed," Zelensky said.

Klitschko said utility workers were working around the clock to restore heating, water and electricity, but that repeated strikes and frosts were making their job harder.

He also said the situation was "complicated because most of these buildings are being connected for the second time after the damage to critical infrastructure on January 9".

Kyiv authorities have set up hundreds of tents across the city, where people can warm up and get hot food and drink.