The focus of the capital's agenda is the preparation of Kyiv for the coming winter. Against the backdrop of growing concerns about energy security and possible infrastructure destruction, the question of who will be responsible for the survival of the capital during the cold season is becoming critically important. As it turns out, the decision to dismiss the head of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA), Vitali Klitschko, is not planned for the upcoming meeting of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC).
Why a change of power in Kyiv is inexpedient
Information that the mayor's post will not be subject to personnel changes is confirmed by sources familiar with the government's position. According to an RBC-Ukraine interlocutor, Vitali Klitschko is not only not planned to be fired, but will definitely not be awarded the Order of Yaroslav the Wise in connection with current events. The logic here is simple and pragmatic: any new manager replacing the current one simply will not have time to restructure the management structures to suit themselves and show results before the onset of cold weather.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the city authorities will probably not have time to ensure the construction of a sufficient number of block-modular boiler houses. We are talking about significant volumes of heat generation necessary to cover the city's total needs. A lack of time and resources makes changing the "captain on the bridge" on the eve of the storm a risky step.
Transfer of powers: who will take responsibility?
Although Vitali Klitschko himself will remain in his post, the structure of winter preparation management will undergo serious changes. It is expected that as a result of the NSDC meeting, a decision will be made that will radically change the powers of the acting First Deputy Head of the KCSA, Petr Panteleev.
According to the publication, Panteleev may be given the right to act more independently, regardless of the head of the capital administration. In particular, this concerns the powers to resolve issues of winter preparation, including financial aspects. At the same time, he will be relieved of curating other areas in order to focus exclusively on the city's survival during the winter period.
Direct responsibility and federal support
Pressure on the city authorities is increasing from the central government. On June 18, Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko officially announced that the Cabinet of Ministers plans to initiate issues of Kyiv's winter preparation for consideration by the NSDC in the near future. She emphasized that the capital must be fully ready for the next heating season and noted that this is the direct responsibility of local authorities.
Earlier, back in March, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the need to help the capital in this process. The head of state suggested that Alexander Kubrakov could help in solving the issue, who for some time headed the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure and simultaneously held the position of Vice Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine. Thus, Kyiv's winter preparation is turning into a priority task of a state scale, requiring a clear distribution of roles and powers.