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Russia Bombards Kharkiv’s Energy Grid for Hours, Forcing Emergency Shutdowns in Subzero Temperatures
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Eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has been under sustained Russian strikes for more than three hours, with strikes deliberately targeting the city’s energy infrastructure in freezing conditions, city’s Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported on February 3.
According to Terekhov, the attacks aimed to inflict maximum damage and leave the city without heating during severe frost.
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As a result, city authorities are preparing to take an emergency and difficult step: draining the heat carrier from the heating system of 820 residential buildings supplied by one of Kharkiv’s largest thermal power plants.
The measure, he said, is necessary to prevent the heating network from freezing entirely, as no technical alternative remains after the unprecedented strikes on critical infrastructure.
Today Russia launched a large-scale, multi-wave strike on the entirety of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the coldest nights of this winter, hitting heat and power plants across eight regions and leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians without heating as temperatures plunged to 25°C (13F°) below zero.
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To support residents, all 101 “Points of Invincibility” will operate around the clock, offering warmth, hot drinks, and charging facilities. Additional heating points will be deployed if needed.
The city also warned of possible disruptions to electric public transport and announced the launch of extra bus routes to keep Kharkiv moving.
“This is a difficult night and a difficult morning for Kharkiv,” Terekhov said, adding that all emergency services are working on site, decisions are being made rapidly, and the situation remains under control. “Kharkiv will stand!!!”
Previously, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia violated a pledge made to the United States to pause strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during negotiations, accusing Moscow of launching attacks just days after agreeing to hold back.
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-778f08080beaf26d1f25d4585d8a37e5.png "Ukrainian Leopard 2 Crushes Russian Infantry Hiding in Donetsk Region Village")