On 16 January 2026, the UK marked the first year of the 100 Year Partnership with Ukraine. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and Business and Trade Minister Chris Bryant travelled to Kyiv for a summit and confirmed £20 million in emergency energy support to help restore heat and power through the winter. Lammy met families affected by drone strikes and spoke with UNHCR staff providing assistance. ([gov.uk](Link

The government says the package will fund urgent repairs, replacement equipment and protection for critical energy assets, keeping electricity and heating on in homes, hospitals and schools as temperatures fall well below zero. The support is designed to stabilise supply now while longer‑term rebuilding plans accelerate. ([gov.uk](Link

Conditions remain severe. Recent missile and drone attacks have damaged major facilities, with Kharkiv among the worst hit and large parts of Kyiv experiencing prolonged outages and buildings temporarily without central heating as crews race to restore supply in sub‑zero temperatures. ([apnews.com](Link

Humanitarian agencies are moving fast to keep households warm. UNHCR’s winter plan includes a one‑off UAH 19,400 cash grant for heating in frontline oblasts, plus distribution of insulation kits, installation of solid‑fuel heaters and upgrades to communal heating systems in collective centres. Last winter more than one million people received winter assistance, including over 600,000 with cash support. ([help.unhcr.org](Link

Beyond the emergency response, signals on reconstruction mattered in Kyiv. The UK will fund specialist training for Ukrainian commercial judges to strengthen the business environment, and UK Export Finance signed a memorandum of understanding with ECA Ukraine to support trade. Three UK‑led programmes will upgrade school facilities and develop a net‑zero housing initiative aimed at efficient, future‑ready homes. ([gov.uk](Link

The task ahead is vast. A joint World Bank–UN–EU assessment estimates $524 billion will be needed for recovery over the next decade, with 13% of all housing damaged or destroyed and almost $68 billion required for the energy and extractives sector alone. For 2025, a $9.96 billion recovery funding gap remains. ([worldbank.org](Link

Analysts warn the grid will stay under pressure through winter. The IEA’s pre‑winter review put available generation at about 17.6 GW ahead of the 2025/26 heating season, with intensified strikes forcing frequent re‑balancing. October 2025 attacks alone left an estimated 800,000 residents without power-evidence that dispersed, quickly repairable capacity matters. ([iea.org](Link

This is where the net‑zero housing work can deliver practical gains. High‑efficiency buildings paired with heat pumps, rooftop solar and batteries reduce peak demand and keep homes liveable during outages. RDNA4 notes firms are already turning to distributed solutions-solar, biogas and flexible generation-offering a path donors can scale alongside grid repairs. ([undp.org](Link

For municipalities and NGOs, near‑term priorities are clear: transformers and switchgear to restore nodes; building insulation to cut heat loss; mobile boilers and combined heat‑and‑power units to secure hospitals and schools; and neighbourhood microgrids in high‑risk areas. UNHCR’s insulation and cash support show how targeted help can quickly lower energy poverty in freezing conditions. ([ukraine.un.org](Link

The £20 million package will not close the gap, but rapid disbursal-combined with legal training for judges and trade finance to de‑risk projects-can keep families warm now and prepare the ground for cleaner, more resilient rebuilding. For a partnership built to last, keeping heat and power on this winter is the first proof point. ([gov.uk](Link