Ukraine has declared a state of emergency in the country’s energy sector, particularly in Kyiv, as ongoing Russian attacks continue to knock out power to thousands of residents.

The nation is in on a particularly cold winterthe night temperature in Kiev dropped to around -20℃.

After a special cabinet meeting, President Zelensky said an all-weather working group would be set up to deal with the devastating consequences of Russian airstrikes and worsening weather conditions.

He accused Moscow of deliberately taking advantage of harsh subzero temperatures to attack critical infrastructure, including energy distribution facilities.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Ukraine was “less willing to make a deal” than Russia.

He told Reuters it was Zelensky, not Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had stalled peace talks in the nearly four-year war.

“I don’t think Ukraine is willing to make a deal yet,” Trump said.

Asked why U.S.-led negotiations had not yet resolved the conflict, Trump replied: “Zelensky.”

Kyiv has been particularly affected by Russian attacks in recent weeks, leaving thousands of homes without regular power, heat or running water.

After a particularly bad night of missile and drone attacks last week, 70% of the capital was without power for several hours.

Zelensky said the new measures would include procuring important energy equipment and resources from abroad to replace damaged facilities.

“The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine has been assigned to oversee efforts to support people and communities in this situation,” he wrote on X.

He also ordered an increase in the number of emergency help points around Kiev to provide heat and electricity to residents, a move that could ease the capital’s current midnight curfew.

Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure are not limited to the capital.

More than a million people in southeastern Ukraine were left without heat and water for hours due to Russian air strikes, Ukrainian officials said last week.

Ukraine’s largest private energy supplier DTEK is in permanent crisis mode due to Russia’s attack on the power grid, Its chief executive Maxim Timchenko told the BBC last month.

As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches, Timchenko said Russia has repeatedly attacked DTEK’s energy grid with “drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles” that the company is finding difficult to respond to.

He added that the intensity of the strikes was so frequent “we just don’t have time to recover”.

DTEK currently provides electricity to 5.6 million Ukrainians.