Six-Hour Barrage Strikes Kharkiv, Cutting Off Heat and Water for Thousands.

Kharkiv Under Sustained Attack on February 3, 2023

According to UATV: On February 3, 2023, the city and region of Kharkiv endured a massive, six-hour bombardment. The assault involved ballistic missiles, aerial bombs, and Iranian-made 'Shahed' kamikaze drones. This attack targeted the city's power grid, leaving thousands of residents without electricity, heating, or running water. Such strikes on civilian infrastructure have become a grim hallmark of the ongoing war.

Significant damage was inflicted on one of the city's main combined heat and power plants (CHPP), severely compromising its operations. As a direct result, approximately one thousand apartment buildings lost their heating supply. Numerous districts across Kharkiv are currently grappling with widespread power and water outages, creating severe hardship for the civilian population.

Aid for Affected Residents

To assist those left without heating, the city has established 101 'invincibility points.' At these shelters, residents can find warmth and hot drinks. While Kharkiv was hit hardest, the February 3rd attacks also impacted the Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, and Sumy regions of Ukraine.

“The energy infrastructure that supplies our city with electricity has been hit. They struck at what keeps the city of Kharkiv alive, with the goal of leaving us without heat, light, and water. Right now, our energy workers and municipal services are working around the clock to restore all utilities.”

Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv

This bombardment is part of the prolonged conflict in the region, which continues to devastate civilian life. The damage to critical energy systems underscores the vulnerability of essential services during wartime. While authorities are attempting to organize aid, the restoration of utilities is hampered by ongoing hostilities and a severe lack of resources.