Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has issued a public appeal to the President of Ukraine in response to criticism regarding the capital's preparations for the winter heating season and the consequences of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. In the address, posted on his Telegram channel and reported by RBC-Ukraine, the mayor stated that public accusations and the lack of proper cooperation between government levels complicate work under ongoing shelling. Klitschko emphasized that the country can only endure through joint efforts and constructive work by authorities at all levels.
Criticism of the 'Central Government Mantra'
In his appeal, Klitschko directly pointed out that, in his words, the central government has built a consistent rhetoric around Kyiv: "The mantra of the central government that Kyiv is the worst, constant manipulations, lies — it's a bad story." The mayor stated that in an attempt to get rid of him "by any means," by creating constant obstacles and not helping the capital, the central government is "effectively destroying Kyiv." He called this position a sign of disrespect toward the capital's residents, as well as to energy workers, utility staff, and other specialists who, he claims, "are doing the practically impossible around the clock, under shelling, while risking their lives."
The Question of Specific Unfulfilled Decisions
A key element of the appeal was a series of questions Klitschko addressed to the President. The mayor asked which specific decisions "at the city level" had not been fulfilled, leading to a lack of preparation for the heating season and for the "Russian special operation against Ukrainian energy," as the head of state puts it. Klitschko also noted that representatives of the capital's authorities are not invited to meetings discussing Kyiv's winter preparations, and asked at which sessions and with whom this work is being conducted.
Winter Preparation and the Scale of Energy Attacks
Klitschko recalled that Kyiv began the heating season on October 16 and questioned the logic of the accusation itself: how could the city government have prevented a "Russian special operation against Ukrainian energy." The mayor stressed that the country's energy system is interconnected and that attacks on energy facilities are being carried out throughout Ukraine, not just in the capital. According to him, this makes shifting responsibility exclusively to the city level of management pointless.
Call for Cooperation and Air Defense Context
Concluding the address, Klitschko called on the central government to "finally stop appointing culprits" and move toward joint, constructive work, noting that "there will still be time for conclusions." Previously, in another speech, the Mayor of Kyiv pointed out that air defense systems are necessary to protect critical infrastructure from massive missile strikes, and that protective structures themselves are not capable of ensuring the security of objects under conditions of simultaneous strikes on multiple targets.
