Berlin issued a harsh statement against the Russian government. Deputy official representative of the German government, Steffen Mayer, at a press conference in Berlin on January 21, 2026, stated that Russia is constantly striking the Ukrainian energy system, "using the cold as a weapon," linking this situation to war crimes.
According to Mayer, the logic of the full-scale war, which has been going on for almost four years, is aimed at weakening, exhausting Ukraine, and forcing the population to fight for survival every day. He also emphasized that the German side strongly condemned the "continuing mass airstrikes."
The situation in Kyiv is reportedly worsening
The Ukrainian side and international sources report that supply problems in the capital, Kyiv, have escalated due to attacks on energy facilities in recent weeks. According to Reuters, after the strikes, the power supply in almost 60% of Kyiv's territory was disrupted, and more than 4,000 buildings were left without heating.
At the same time, Reuters noted that Ukraine is experiencing this in the conditions of one of the "harshest" winters since the beginning of the war, and the strikes on energy and heating systems are worsening the daily lives of the population.
"Get out of the city" calls
Reports also circulated that Kyiv's leadership had called on residents to leave the city as much as possible a few days ago, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, in an interview with AFP, stated that 600,000 people had left the capital during January.
What does Berlin's position mean?
The main emphasis in the German statement is that the attacks are not limited to military purposes, they affect civilian infrastructure, leaving people in dark houses, without heating and hot water. Berlin called such a method "inhumane" and sharply assessed it from the point of view of international humanitarian law.
The current picture is as follows: the cold of winter is usually a natural test, but if the blows on energy continue, it will already become a tool of geopolitical pressure. And in this case, the greatest burden, as always, falls on the shoulders of ordinary people.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
