By Olha Chepil | 2026-02-26

Kyiv's elderly face a brutal winter after Russian strikes crippled Ukraine's energy system, leaving survival to hinge on a hot meal, a working heater or simply the ability to walk a few miles.

For thousands of older residents, the cold has become a daily test. Some travel several kilometers through freezing temperatures just to reach a bowl of soup.

Each Saturday, a line forms near Kyiv's Southern Railway Station. There are no storefronts, only folding tables with hot meals, medicine boxes and volunteers who greet many visitors by name. For hundreds of seniors, the stop is their only chance all week to warm up and feel remembered.

Eighty-seven-year-old Zhanna Gadzenko travels from the Berezniaky neighborhood, crossing roughly 11 kilometers (about 7 miles) each way. The trip is exhausting, but she said it is necessary.

"I have water and a little light, but no heat at all. It is cold. I sleep in the same clothes I wear all day -- T-shirts, sweaters, cardigans and a jacket on top. That is how I sleep because it is freezing," she told Kontur.

A weekly lifeline

Gadzenko lives alone. She once sold tickets at a children's musical theater. Now she says her children no longer speak to her and the war has made old age harder.

"I buy carrots, potatoes, and chicken quarters on sale -- I cook soup on the gas stove and can eat it for three days. That's enough for me. Then on Saturdays, I come here," she said.

Her ability to walk remains her only safety net.

"It's a blessing that I can still walk. Otherwise, I don't know what I would do," she said.

The charity Bezdoma has served retirees, people with disabilities and the homeless at the station for years. Volunteer Olena Sokolenko organizes the effort every Saturday at no charge and on her own initiative.

"We provide hot lunches and 'tormozky' to go - boiled eggs, fruit, and sweets. We also offer sandwiches and medications, giving out a few items per person. When possible, we distribute clothing: socks, underwear and hygiene products," Sokolenko told Kontur.

Businesses sometimes donate supplies, and volunteers raise additional funds online. They also try to meet individual needs, such as finding winter clothing.

Since the full-scale invasion began, the crowd has grown sharply. Where about 150 people once came, more than 400 now seek help.

"We hand out tickets -- then people wait in line with those tickets to receive their food and medicine," Sokolenko said.

For many, this aid has shifted from occasional support to a winter survival strategy.

Trapped in the cold

Those who cannot leave their homes face even greater danger.

Yuliia Nazaruk said her father, Oleksandr, nearly froze in his apartment on Kyiv's Left Bank. When the invasion began, relatives left for Austria, but he refused to abandon his home. After a hip fracture, he struggled to move and his condition worsened.

"He wanted to be in his own home. We ordered grocery deliveries for him, so he almost never went out," Nazaruk told Kontur.

Reaching a doctor was impossible. When heating became unreliable, the situation turned critical.

"He was freezing. He called and begged for help, but it was impossible to solve the problem urgently," she said.

Gas canisters, portable stoves and firewood became scarce and expensive. Eventually relatives moved him to a village with a wood-burning stove.

"It turns out everyone has to solve these problems privately. No one ever came by to check on him or ask how he was doing," Nazaruk said.

Kyiv has more than 165,000 residents with disabilities, including about 16,000 children, according to the Kyiv City Council for the Rights of People with Disabilities. Authorities urge residents to report people living alone so they can receive help during outages.

"In these conditions, it is incredibly difficult for elderly people who cannot walk. Many don't want to complain, they are afraid to ask for help, and they are left alone with their misfortune," Nazaruk said.

Officials say social services respond as quickly as possible, but gaps remain. Temporary relocation decisions depend on individual needs, and people may be sent to hospitals, geriatric centers or shelters.

"Information goes to the Central Headquarters, where it is decided where to send the person -- to a hospital, a geriatric center, or a temporary housing facility. There are options. But it is important to understand: we cannot see everyone," Deputy Kyiv City Council Head Maryna Honda said in an interview with Kyiv24 on February 5.

Winter under attack

European lawmakers have described Russia's strikes on Ukraine's energy grid as a deliberate use of winter against civilians. Rights groups say outages place the elderly and people with disabilities at particular risk.

Amnesty International documented cases of residents trapped in freezing apartments without elevators or reliable heat.

"I heat water on a kerosene stove and fill two bottles --I put one at my feet and hold the other in my hands just to keep from freezing. We sleep in our clothes, under every blanket we own," Kyiv resident Svitlana Prokopivna said in an Amnesty interview conducted January 16.

Some residents run gas burners for warmth despite the danger of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.

Amnesty said the scale of attacks on energy infrastructure may amount to violations of the laws of war by depriving civilians of basic means of survival.

For volunteers at the railway station, the work extends beyond food. It offers conversation, recognition and brief moments of human connection.

"The main thing is just getting here. As long as I can walk, I'll keep coming," Gadzenko said, adjusting her scarf before leaving.

International groups warn that power and heating outages continue to threaten lives across Ukrainian cities, with older residents, people with disabilities and those with limited mobility facing the greatest risk.