---
title: "Zelenskyy Heavily Criticizes Kyiv's Winter Preparedness"
description: "Volodymyr Zelenskyy has strongly criticized Kyiv's authorities for failing to prepare the city for winter, noting that the capital lags behind other regions in infrastructure resilience."
date: 2026-10-13T16:56:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelenskyy-criticizes-kyiv-winter-preparedness
tags: [ukraine, zelenskyy, kyiv, winter-preparation, infrastructure]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Zelenskyy Heavily Criticizes Kyiv's Winter Preparedness

![Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a meeting on winter preparations](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/13/zelenskiy-kritika-podgotovki-kieva-k-zime/zelenskiy-kritika-podgotovki-kieva-k-zime-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Kyiv lags behind other Ukrainian regions in winter readiness
- The President demands immediate acceleration of infrastructure works
- Comparison with Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia reflects poorly on the capital

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed serious concern regarding the pace of preparation for the upcoming winter season in the capital. According to his official statement dated October 13, 2026, Kyiv is showing a critical lag behind other regions of the country in implementing infrastructure resilience plans. The head of state warned that the current situation is alarming, as even limited attacks by Shahed-type drones are leading to systematic disruptions in electricity and water supply in Kyiv's districts.

### Critical Failures in Infrastructure

The President emphasized that the preparation of the housing stock, educational institutions, and protective structures is at an extremely low level. In the context of a full-scale war, where Kyiv should serve as a model of readiness, current metrics indicate a failure to execute basic tasks aimed at strengthening the energy and social protection of citizens. Zelenskyy underscored that this is unacceptable given the approaching cold weather, which is forecasted to be among the most severe since the conflict began.

### Comparison with Other Regions

Zelenskyy pointed to other Ukrainian cities, specifically Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, as examples where local authorities, despite significantly more challenging security conditions and proximity to the front line, have achieved notable success in winter preparations. The comparison with the work of Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov and the head of the Zaporizhzhia Defense Council, Ivan Fedorov, showed that Kyiv authorities possess all the necessary resources but are failing to utilize them properly to protect the population.

### Contradictory Data

It should be noted that despite the criticism of the city administration by the President, official reports from the Kyiv City State Administration had previously claimed 90% readiness of critical infrastructure for the heating season. At the same time, data from independent observers and complaints from residents on social media confirm the President's assertion regarding systemic network failures following precision strikes, creating a gap between 'paper' reports and the actual readiness of systems for extreme loads.

### Further Steps

A series of personnel and organizational decisions aimed at intensifying preparations for Kyiv's winter season is expected in the near future. The President has already held meetings with specialized structures, including the leadership of the SBU, to expedite the implementation of resilience plans. Experts suggest that if the critical flaws are not addressed within the next few weeks, the capital could face unprecedented resource restrictions during the winter months.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Зеленский: каждый киевлянин видит, что город не подготовлен к зиме](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zelenskiy-kozhen-kiyanin-bachit-shcho-misto-1791910404.html) - Первоисточник заявления президента.
- [Планы стойкости и зимняя поддержка: как власть обещает подготовить Украину к самой тяжелой ...](https://ru.slovoidilo.ua/2026/10/09/statja/politika/plany-stojkosti-i-zimnyaya-podderzhka-kak-vlast-obeshhaet-podgotovit-ukrainu-samoj-tyazheloj-voennoj-zime) - Контекст государственной программы подготовки.
- [Зеленский договорился о личной встрече с Туском и объявил о переговорах с США и Россией](https://24tv.ua/ru/zelenskij-i-tusk-obsudili-peregovory-i-zashhitu-jenergoseti-lidery-dogovorilis-o-vstreche_n3154695) - Подтверждено по источнику 24tv.ua
- [Зеленский заявил, что надеется на завершение конфликта на Украине к зиме](https://news.mail.ru/svo/72459420/) - Подтверждено по источнику news.mail.ru

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why is Zelenskyy dissatisfied with Kyiv's preparation?
**A:** The President believes the pace of infrastructure preparation is critically low, evidenced by frequent power and water outages after minimal drone attacks.

### Q: Which cities did Zelenskyy use as examples?
**A:** Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia were cited as cities that managed winter preparations better despite facing significantly harsher conditions.