Jan 20 (Reuters) - Russian ‌forces ​launched a ‌combined drone and ​missile attack on the Ukrainian ‍capital of Kyiv ​early on ​Tuesday, ⁠triggering cuts in power and water supplies, the city's mayor said.

An intense wave of Russian drone attacks has left hundreds of thousands of households in the Kyiv region without power, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday, as temperatures fall well below freezing.

Ukraine's capital Kyiv, home to over 3 million people, has rarely been prepared for winter. Frozen, icy sidewalks, bursting pipes, and year-long infrastructure collapse have been a key feature of the city under Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Ukraine's capital Kyiv has only about half the electricity that it needs as it faces its most severe wartime energy crisis following waves of Russian attacks on its infrastructure, mayor Vitali Klitschko told Reuters on Friday.

Mutliple blasts were heard in central Kyiv as Moscow intensified a bid to inflict major damage to the city's power supply amid sub-zero temperatures.

The Kremlin has tried for years to freeze Ukraine into submission. This winter, its attacks have been the most devastating ever.

Kyiv’s mayor made an unprecedented call to residents to seek temporary refuge outside the Ukrainian capital after a Russian aerial barrage triggered widespread shortages amid frigid temperatures.

To ensure that Ukrainian citizens are able to receive free hot meals, the State Emergency Service is deploying mobile kitchens.

Russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in past winters, but this year intensified its attacks as temperatures in Ukraine plunged well below freezing.

Constant local accidents are being recorded in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast due to freezing temperatures and worn-out infrastructure. Meanwhile, repair crews are working to restore heating to 143 buildings in the capital.