Thousands 'without light and warm water' — At tournament, Ukrainian tennis player speaks out on Russian energy grid strikes
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Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostiuk spoke out about the severe power outages in Ukraine after the final match at the Brisbane tournament on Jan. 11, addressing Russia's relentless attacks on energy infrastructure amid the freezing winter.
Kostiuk drew attention to the situation after her loss to Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the 2026 Brisbane International final, a professional tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia.
"I wanna say a few words about Ukraine," she began. "I play every day with pain in my heart. There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now. It's -20°C outside. It's very painful to live this reality every day."
"My sister sleeps under three blankets because of the cold at home," she shared.
The tennis player also expressed how moved and grateful she was to see so many Ukrainian flags throughout the week.
Marta Kostyuk spoke about Ukraine after her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane final
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 11, 2026
“I wanna say a few words about Ukraine. I play every day with pain in my heart. There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now. It’s -20 degrees outside. It’s… pic.twitter.com/nTsG6rTgBz
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure as the country faces freezing temperatures, with daytime highs dipping below -10°C (14°F) this week and into the next.
In recent days, Russia has targeted regional centers in the east and south of Ukraine, leaving Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts without power on the evening of Jan. 7. New outages were reported in both regions overnight on Jan. 11.
Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, said that the country currently faces the most difficult situation with electricity this winter.
A massive Russian missile and drone strike overnight on Jan. 9 killed at least four people and injured 25 others in Kyiv and severely damaged the capital's critical infrastructure. Over a thousand buildings in the capital remain without heat.
Russian forces also targeted critical infrastructure in the western Lviv Oblast overnight on Jan. 9, launching the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.
