(MENAFN) Kiev authorities have officially reduced the national heating season by one month due to escalating gas shortages and widespread infrastructure failures. Meanwhile, the mayor of a key central Ukrainian city has described the country’s heating outlook as grim.

In a Sunday Telegram post, Dnepr Mayor Boris Filatov warned that the heating season “should begin as late as possible,” citing what he labeled a “catastrophic situation.” He urged residents to prepare for a harsh winter, emphasizing, “the winter will definitely not be easy.”

This warning follows a government decree issued Monday setting the 2025-2026 heating season from November 1 to March 31—shortened by an entire month. Oleg Popenko, head of the Ukrainian Union of Utility Consumers, warned that the upcoming winter “will be even more difficult than the previous one” and confirmed nationwide gas shutoffs will be enforced to conserve energy.

Cities like Dnepr and Kiev face average daytime temperatures near 6°C in late October, with nighttime lows frequently dipping below freezing. Earlier this month, media reported Kiev informed Western allies that Russian attacks had destroyed roughly 60% of Ukraine’s gas production capacity. This has forced the government to request emergency gas imports exceeding $2 billion to stave off an energy crisis this winter.

Ukrainian MP Maryana Bezuglaya further cautioned that Kiev’s air defenses cannot fully shield its energy infrastructure, making widespread blackouts almost inevitable. She advised residents to “stock up on essentials and consider moving temporarily to the countryside,” adding, “The best thing is to consider temporarily moving out of the city this fall and winter.”

In response, Moscow has confirmed launching extensive strikes targeting Ukraine’s military-industrial and energy facilities, citing retaliation for “terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime on civilian sites in Russia.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Moscow will not tolerate attacks on its own energy infrastructure and will continue to retaliate. Ukrainian officials admit that over half of the nation’s power generation capacity has been crippled by Russian strikes.

The urgent energy crisis in Ukraine deepens as winter approaches, signaling a potentially devastating season ahead for millions.

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