Ukraine Winter - Powering Hospitals & Shelters

Field update from Ukraine

As the harshest winter yet deepens across Ukraine, attacks on energy infrastructure continue to cut heat, electricity and water just when people most need them to survive.

Missile and drone strikes on power plants and grids have left millions in extended outages, with temperatures plunging well below freezing and families forced into improvised shelters or community centers just to stay warm. In this brutal situation, our SmartAID team is on the ground intensifying support for shelters and health facilities.

We’re deploying portable solar generators, battery-backed power kits and decentralized clean energy systems so that hospitals can keep lights, monitors and oxygen flowing during blackouts; shelters can keep spaces heated and lit; and community clinics can continue serving people when central power fails. These aren’t just gadgets in many places they’re the difference between being able to treat patients or not, and between warmth and life-threatening cold.

The humanitarian picture beyond our work is stark: health care services were hit by a near-20 % jump in attacks last year, and millions report they cannot reliably access basic medicines or comfort when central services fail. Yet communities keep organizing, helpers keep turning up, and every powered clinic and warm shelter is a small stand against winter’s cruelty.

For us in the field, the strategy is clear make energy resilient where it matters most, support health professionals under unrelenting stress, and help people endure this winter together until peace finally returns.

Powering Hope in the Darkest Winter

As winter closes in on Ukraine, Russia has unleashed one of the largest waves of attacks of the war, targeting the country’s civilian infrastructure  especially the electricity grid that millions rely on to survive the freezing months ahead. These strikes are designed to break Ukraine’s will, leaving families to face an impossible choice: surrender to despair or risk freezing in their homes.

Nearly 3,000 attacks on Ukraine’s energy systems have been recorded this year alone. Each strike plunges more towns into darkness, leaving hospitals without power, cutting off communication, and pushing entire communities to the edge. Emergency crews work through the night to restore electricity and water, but in many places, the lights stay off for days.

Amid this devastation, SmartAID has been working tirelessly across eastern Ukraine to bring light, warmth, and hope back to those most affected. Over the past several months, SmartAID has provided electricity, connectivity, and access to medical support in communities devastated by ongoing attacks.

Working hand in hand with government partners and local charities, SmartAID has installed renewable energy systems in hospitals, clinics, shelters, and community centers ensuring that vital services continue even when the grid collapses. These systems allow doctors to perform medical procedures, preserve lifesaving medicines, and keep critical hospital equipment running. Families are able to connect to the internet, charge phones, stay warm, and survive the harsh winter conditions.

At the same time, SmartAID has been supporting grassroots organizations and local authorities by delivering specialized medical devices to protect the most vulnerable. Hearing-assistance technology helps deaf Ukrainians receive alerts and reach shelters during air raids. Mobile incubators safeguard premature infants as they are transported to underground shelters in active war zones. Even as missiles fall, SmartAID’s power solutions allow children to continue studying, families to access clean water and light, and communities to maintain their dignity and safety.

Now, as temperatures drop and attacks intensify, SmartAID is preparing for the most challenging months ahead. Each solar panel, generator, and medical device we install saves lives and strengthens the resilience of an entire community.

This winter, tens of thousands of Ukrainian families will depend on these efforts to stay alive. Together, we can help them keep the lights on, stay connected, and hold onto hope.

Join SmartAID. Help power resilience, warmth, and life across Ukraine this winter.