The Davydenko family: Denys, 40, Yuliia, 40, and their children Maksym, 11, Tymofiy, 6, and Stephanie, 2

A Kyiv family has been forced to abandon their freezing high-rise flat and move into a quirky pig café as Russian attacks cripple Ukraine’s power and heating in brutal winter conditions. With temperatures plunging to minus 20C and no electricity for eight days, the Davydenkos packed up their children, pets and belongings to survive the cold. Their shocking new normal means bedding down among seven small pigs after closing time.

Parents Yuliia and Denys, both 40, realised they could no longer cope when their 12th-floor apartment lost heating for almost two weeks. Wrapped in winter coats, hats and layers of duvets, the family still shivered through the nights. With three young children, two cats and two dogs, they made the desperate decision to leave.

Their refuge is the family-owned Piggy Cafe Kyiv, powered by a generator and heated enough to be habitable. By day, customers come to pet pigs to ease the stress of war. By night, the café transforms into a makeshift home for the Davydenkos.

After the last customer leaves, Yuliia and Denys roll out mattresses on the floor. Sons Maksym, 11, and Tymofiy, six, and two-year-old daughter Stephanie sleep alongside the animals. Cats, dogs and pigs roam freely before settling into their own beds.

“The point when we decide to leave Kyiv again would be when Russian troops are 10-12 km from the city,” Yuliia told Reuters. The family had fled early in the invasion in 2022 when Russian forces neared the capital. Since returning from Europe, they are determined to stay.

That resolve mirrors a wider mood in Kyiv, where many residents say they will never leave their land. The spirit of defiance is helping fuel President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s stance against sweeping Russian demands in ongoing peace talks. But the human cost is growing as the cold bites deeper.

When they return to their Troieshchyna district flat every few days, conditions are grim. Laundry takes days to dry and still feels damp. It is often too cold to sit on the toilet, and showers are impossible.

On a recent visit, the kitchen temperature was just 2C. Ice formed on the inside of the windows. The couple’s breath condensed as they spoke.

As a rare treat, the family visited a sauna. The children enjoyed the break, still seeing some of the upheaval as an adventure. “Maksym likes it,” Denys joked, saying his son enjoys the lack of chores.

Cooking at home is impossible. At the café, it’s marshmallows in cocoa and takeaways. Despite running their own business and having access to education for their sons, the Davydenkos know many in Kyiv are worse off.

Waves of Russian strikes over four months have left hundreds of thousands without electricity and water. For the city’s three million people, this is the most devastating winter since the war began. Some residents are leaving, others rely on friends, while many shelter in giant heated tents.

After a heavy attack on January 20, 5,635 apartment blocks in Kyiv lost heating. At one point, around one million customers were disconnected from the grid. The Davydenkos live just 4 km from a major thermal power plant, a key target since autumn 2025.

Russia denies targeting civilians, saying its strikes aim to degrade Ukraine’s military. Yet the raids have caused mass civilian casualties and shattered daily life.

Despite everything, Yuliia shrugs off fear. “No big deal,” she said when asked about plans, adding they would set up a wood stove if needed.

On Reuters’ final day with the family, Russia launched 71 missiles and 450 drones in one of the biggest barrages of the war. Much of it hit Kyiv’s energy system again. The family woke to explosions and rattling windows. The café’s heating was gone too.

Key Takeaways

• A Kyiv family is sleeping in a pig café after losing heat and power.

• Russian strikes have left hundreds of thousands freezing in the capital.

• Despite bombardment, residents vow to stay and adapt to survive.

The Kyiv family, with its pets and pigs, defying Russia and the cold

This is precisely what I call heroism, the resilience to live on as a family and even laugh.

I've seen piglets in Bangkok malls. I hope somebody here gets the idea to start a Pig Cafe. Place Pigale, Pigs in a Blanket. More names, please!