At least 83 deaths in the Ukraine have so far been attributed to freezing weather this season, the country’s health ministry reported on Friday.
Since Tuesday alone, 46 people have died from the cold, said Health Ministry spokesperson Vladimir Yurchenko. Most of the victims died in open areas, but 15 also died from freezing temperatures in their homes.
Ukraine has been suffering for days from temperatures as low as minus 20°C.
Russia too reported record cold, with the south Siberian region of Altai recording the hardest December frost in 100 years, according to the Interfax Agency.
In the region around 3 000 east of Moscow, temperatures are expected to drop to minus 40°C.
Moscow itself reached record level of electricity use, at 17 717MW.