The day after heavy Russian strikes on Kyiv, many residents of Ukraine’s capital are left without heating in freezing temperatures, as the United Nations prepares for a critical meeting on Monday.
The bombings have killed at least four people and cut off heating to half of Kyiv’s residential buildings. Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has urged residents to evacuate the city “temporarily.”
The UN Security Council will convene on Monday at Ukraine’s request following the attacks and Russia’s use of its new-generation ballistic missile Orechnik close to Poland's border in the west of Ukraine.
The missile, classified as an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Its use has been condemned by the European Union as well as officials in Paris, Berlin, and London, who called it a “significant escalation” by Moscow.
Russian forces have continued shelling Ukraine after rejecting the European plan to deploy a multinational force in the country following a potential end to hostilities.
On Friday, the UK announced it would allocate approximately €230 million to prepare its military for deployment in Ukraine, should a ceasefire with Russia occur.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a “clear international response” to the attack, which struck around 40 sites in Kyiv amid harsh winter conditions. Ukraine’s prosecutor’s office has reported four fatalities and 26 injuries from the strikes.
Mayor Klitschko noted that nearly 6,000 residential buildings in Kyiv are currently without heating and urged those able to leave the city for a temporary period.
