Cold! We filmed street life in Kyiv during the worst January frosts — as well as blackouts, water and heat cuts. Photo report

The first month of 2026 was a time of merciless frosts for Kyiv. The coldest was on January 18, when the minimum temperature dropped to -16.5 °C in the morning. At the same time, from January 9 to 24, Russia hit Kyiv four times with “Iskander” ballistic missiles, and also launched various types of attack drones over the capital. It destroyed the cityʼs TPP plants, distribution stations, and residential buildings. Taken together, this put Kyiv on the brink of a humanitarian crisis: thousands of homes were left without heating, electricity, and water at the same time. Heating and power grids were saved by Kyiv repair crews and crews from other regional centers. During the most depressing (or would it be more accurate to say "most fucked-up"?) winter, Babel asked photographer Liza Bukreeva to capture the atmosphere on the cityʼs streets.