The 2026–2027 heating season is gradually starting across Ukraine. As of October 16, heat is already being supplied to hospitals, kindergartens, and schools in a number of communities, while individual cities have only scheduled the connection of residential buildings. As noted by RBC-Ukraine, there is no single nationwide start date: timelines depend on weather conditions, the readiness of heating networks, and decisions by local authorities, which is why radiators begin to warm up on different days in various regions.
Why heat is not provided to everyone simultaneously
In many communities, the heat supply is rolled out in stages: social institutions—hospitals, kindergartens, schools, and other public facilities—are connected first, while residential buildings are included later. This means that even if the season has officially begun, the radiators in all apartments will not warm up on the same day. In some places, heat is supplied upon requests from facility managers provided that internal systems are ready for operation, while in others, it depends on reaching standard temperature thresholds.
Kyiv and Kyiv Region
In Kyiv, the heating season began on October 16. Social sector institutions—hospitals, schools, and kindergartens—are receiving heat first. At the same time, parts of the Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi districts will remain without heating for now due to significant damage to an energy facility, where restoration work is ongoing. In the Irpin community of the Kyiv region, hospitals, selected schools, and kindergartens began connecting to heating on October 15, based on managers' requests and provided internal systems are ready. Residential buildings in Irpin will be connected later.
Chernihiv, Rivne, Poltava, and other regions
In the Kulikivka community of the Chernihiv region, the season began as early as September 28, with heat supplied to healthcare, general secondary, and preschool education institutions. In the Snovsk community, heating for budgetary institutions, enterprises, and the housing stock began on October 15; on the same day, heat was supplied to residential buildings and institutions in the Koryukivka and Korop communities. In the Honcharivske and Sosnytsia communities, the start is scheduled for October 19, and in Mena for October 21. In the Sarny community of the Rivne region, the supply is phased: starting October 15 for the central district hospital, October 19 for kindergartens, October 20 for the heat carrier from the boiler house on Demokratychna Street, and October 26 for remaining municipal institutions; the date for schools will be announced additionally. In the Tereshkivka community of the Poltava region, heating in educational institutions was turned on as early as October 12 due to a cold snap, as the air temperature in one kindergarten dropped to 14 degrees. In the Kalush community of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, heating in healthcare facilities began on October 15; in the Vinnytsia community as of October 15, heating engineers had received 39 applications (25 from institutions), and in the Zbarazh community of the Ternopil region, supply is planned starting October 19.
Where a decision has not yet been made
In Zaporizhzhia, as of October 16, the official start date of the heating season has not been announced. The heating systems of buildings began to be filled with coolant as early as October 8, but this does not mean the season has started: the decision to supply heat to apartments will be made by the city council executive committee, with one of the conditions being an average daily temperature of +8 °C or lower for three consecutive days. In Lutsk, the heating season will also be launched taking weather conditions into account—the executive committee decided to supply heat once a specific level of average daily outdoor air temperature is reached.
Thus, the start of the 2026–2027 heating season in Ukraine remains decentralized: in some communities, heat is already in social institutions, in others—in residential buildings, and in certain cities, the decision is still awaited. Residents are advised to follow official announcements from their communities and city councils, as there is no single date for the entire country.
