Russian missile attacks on civilian infrastructure are leaving Ukrainians without heat, light, and food in a "horrific start" to the winter, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on November 25, as European officials pledged more support to help Ukraine stay warm and keep functioning through the bitter cold season.
Speaking in Brussels, Stoltenberg said Russian President Vladimir Putin "is failing in Ukraine, and he is responding with more brutality."
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Stoltenberg said NATO will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. He said the members of the alliance have been "providing unprecedented military support" and other aid for Ukraine.
NATO countries have also been delivering fuel, generators, medical supplies, winter equipment and drone-jamming devices, he said, but added that more will be needed as winter closes in, particularly as Russia continues to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Russian forces have zeroed in on Ukraine’s power grid and other critical civilian infrastructure in a bid to tighten the screw on the Ukrainian government.
Efforts were still under way in the capital, Kyiv, and other parts of Ukraine to restore electricity and water supplies on November 25, two days after Russian forces unleashed yet another devastating missile barrage, causing Kyiv’s biggest outages since the brutal invasion began nine months ago.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said nearly half of Kyiv residents were still without electricity on November 25.
"A third of houses in Kyiv already have heating, and specialists continue to restore it,” Klitschko said on Telegram.
Ukrainian officials estimate that around 50 percent of the country's energy facilities have been damaged in the recent strikes.
WATCH: Over 2,000 people still live in the frontline city of Hulyaipole in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya region despite constant Russian shelling and a lack of electricity, gas, and water.
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As Winter Comes, Residents Remain On The Front Line In Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Region
Ukraine's Western allies have denounced the Russian attacks on energy as a "war crime" but Moscow insists it targets only military-linked infrastructure and has blamed Kyiv for the blackouts.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced a new aid package for Ukraine during his visit to Kyiv on November 25.
The package -- worth about $60 million, according to Britain -- includes radar and other technology to counter the Iran-supplied exploding drones that Russia has used against Ukrainian targets, especially the power grid. The aid comes on top of a delivery of more than 1,000 anti-air missiles that Britain announced earlier in November.
"Words are not enough. Words won't keep the lights on this winter. Words won't defend against Russian missiles," Cleverly said in a tweet about the military aid.
SEE ALSO: Pummeled By Russian Rockets, Ukraine's Power Grid Sputters And Ukrainians StruggleHe added that "as winter sets in, Russia is continuing to try and break Ukrainian resolve through its brutal attacks on civilians, hospitals, and energy infrastructure."
France will send 100 high-powered generators to Ukraine to help people get through the winter, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced on November 25. She said Russia is "weaponizing" winter and plunging Ukraine's civilian population into hardship.
The UN humanitarian office said the global body and its partners were sending hundreds of generators to Ukraine to help Kyiv in its efforts to keep people warm and maintain essential services, such as health care. The World Health Organization said it is sending generators to hospitals in Ukraine.