Piotr Łukasiewicz, Poland’s chargé d’affaires in Kyiv, said Warsaw had sent 400 power generators to the Ukrainian capital and nearby towns after Russian strikes knocked out electricity and heating supplies.
“Dear people of Kyiv and the surrounding areas! More than 400 generators of various types from the Polish government reserves are on their way to warm you. Poland is helping,” he wrote on X.
Large parts of the Ukrainian capital remain without basic services following repeated Russian attacks on critical energy infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that after strikes earlier this week, nearly 60% of buildings in Kyiv were left without electricity, while about 4,000 buildings remained without heating.
Poland praised for public support in Kyiv
Poland’s assistance has been accompanied by a public fundraising campaign, Warmth from Poland for Kyiv, which has raised nearly 5.2m złoty (€1.23m) in six days.
More than 40,000 people have donated, prompting the Stand with Ukraine Foundation to increase its target to 5m złoty.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Poland’s actions recalled its widely praised response at the start of the war, again presenting the country as a leading example of solidarity and effective mobilisation.
He added that the campaign carried particular significance as Ukraine endures freezing temperatures and continued missile attacks, with access to heat and electricity now a matter of safety and survival.
Maciej Wewiór, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, said Poland’s supporters are not trolls or bots, referring to Sybiha’s remarks.
The initiative has also been highlighted by Ukrainian volunteers and influencers.
Ihor Lachenkov, a blogger from Dnipro with 1.5 million followers on Telegram, thanked Poles for their support and urged Ukrainians to post messages of gratitude.
“I am deeply grateful to the Polish people for this help - it is extremely valuable at such a moment,” he wrote.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, told AFP that around 600,000 people had left the city since 9 January, after residents were advised to consider temporary evacuation. He said that following the latest attacks, roughly half of Kyiv’s buildings were left without heating.
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Source: PAP/X/@P_Lukasiewicz/@igorlachenkov/@RzecznikMSZ