The Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) is continuing large-scale work to update data on the capital's mobility-impaired residents ahead of the winter period. According to official data provided in response to a request from RBC-Ukraine, the city is home to around 26,000 elderly people living alone who are under the care of territorial social service centers, as well as more than 160,000 people with disabilities, of whom approximately 15,000 are children. In total, this amounts to nearly 186,000 residents whose data is currently being verified by social services.

Not "eviction lists," but a map of needs

The city hall categorically refuted the interpretation that the city is compiling lists of people for "eviction" in the event of a large-scale power outage. "The city is not compiling lists of people for 'eviction' in the event of a large-scale citywide power outage. This is about updating information on the actual place of residence of people from mobility-impaired groups who may require additional assistance in the event of an emergency," KCSA emphasized. A person's inclusion in the relevant category does not in itself mean that they will have to be relocated. Social services are establishing where representatives of vulnerable categories actually live and what specific help they may need. Places for possible temporary accommodation will be determined based on the needs of specific individuals and the evolving situation.

Who is already in the database and who needs to apply

KCSA clarified that if a person is already under the social care of a territorial center or a district department of social and veterans' policy, there is no need to apply again to have their information entered — the relevant data is already held by social services and is merely being verified. Up-to-date information will allow city services to promptly contact the person, assess their condition and needs, and organize the necessary assistance. In some cases, this may involve temporary relocation, however the city hall is not pre-announcing either the final number of such people or specific locations for all possible scenarios.

Budget and funding sources

A separate line item in the local budget for compiling lists or temporarily relocating people is not provided for. Measures to prepare and ensure the necessary support may be implemented, in particular, with the help of charitable and international organizations. This means that a significant share of the logistics and material provision in the event of a real emergency will fall on the shoulders of NGOs and partner structures, rather than solely on the city budget.

Context: Kyiv's winter resilience

The work is being carried out under martial law and amid ongoing threats of attacks on critical infrastructure. KCSA emphasizes that this is about preparing for various possible emergencies, not about predicting a specific scenario. Recently, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that the capital will complete the main winter preparation measures by the start of the heating season; about 50% of the work has already been completed. In early August, Klitschko and the central authorities discussed Kyiv's winter resilience plan, for which more than 20 billion hryvnia is being allocated.

Contradictory data

No significant discrepancies in the figures were found between KCSA's official statement and the RBC-Ukraine material. However, it is important to note a methodological caveat: the figures cited (26,000 and 160,000) reflect the number of people in the respective categories, not the number of those planned to be relocated. KCSA explicitly states that actual needs are still being determined, and final figures may differ. An additional source (regions.ru) describes the practice of helping elderly people living alone in another city (Ozersk) as part of a "decade of mercy" and contains no data contradicting Kyiv's statistics, but it confirms the common Russian-Ukrainian model of social workers' work with vulnerable groups.