Dozens seek warmth in lifeline tents

UKRAINIANS traditionally celebrate the winter holidays well into the new year but bitter frosts have bitten hard into festive spirits as Russian missiles and drones continue to pulverise the embattled nation's power and heating plants.

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Resilience tent set up in the centre of Kyiv, giving some relief from icy weather; inset, table with toys and books

Rolling blackouts in cold snaps are nothing new in wartime Kyiv, but waves of air assaults have battered the infrastructure to its knees. President Zelensky declared an energy emergency last week as residents hunkered down in frozen flats or sought warmth and electricity in one of the "resilience points" set up by officials to provide relief.

Kyiv's Left Bank has been hit hard and hosts dozens of orange or grey tents where people forced from their homes can warm up, charge gadgets or sit with others.

Sergey, an emergency worker who lives in my building, told me: "These tents can accommodate up to 100 people. On the Left Bank they are about 60 to 70% full."