Photo: SES of Ukraine
25 hospitalized, most of them children.
The past weekend, February 7–8, became truly tragic for Ukraine due to a wave of mass carbon monoxide poisonings.
Rescue services recorded nine emergencies across eight regions of the country. The consequences are shocking: four people died and 25 were hospitalized. Particularly distressing is the fact that 15 of the victims were children. Most incidents occurred in the private housing sector and rural areas, where residents were trying to heat their homes or generate electricity at any cost.
Generators and infants: tragedy in Kyiv region
One of the most high-profile incidents occurred in the village of Zhukivtsi in the Kyiv region. Due to violations of safety rules when operating a generator, an entire family was poisoned. Four people were hospitalized, including two infants born in 2024 and 2025. The condition of both the children and adults is currently under medical supervision, but the case has once again highlighted the deadly danger of exhaust fumes.
Faulty heating systems caused fatalities in two regions:
Ternopil region: two people died due to defects in stove heating systems.
Vinnytsia: two people died as a result of faulty gas equipment.
Why did these tragedies happen? Three main causes cited by rescuers
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine identifies three primary factors behind the mass poisonings over the weekend:
Generators (5 incidents): People continue to place generators on balconies, too close to open windows, or even inside living spaces.
Stove heating (2 incidents): Cracks in masonry and premature closing of chimney dampers “to save heat.”
Gas appliances (2 incidents): Use of faulty water heaters and stoves without proper ventilation.
“Carbon monoxide has no color and no smell. It is impossible to detect without a special detector, and the consequences of inhalation can become fatal within minutes,” the State Emergency Service warned.
