President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly responded to protests by Kyiv residents, who blocked traffic in the capital amidst multi-day power outages. In an interview with the TSN TV channel, the head of state explained that he personally noticed the situation and contacted the Minister of Internal Affairs, after which additional electrician crews were dispatched to the damaged energy facility. According to him, the shortage of personnel at the site was the reason for the prolonged repairs and, consequently, the residents' indignation.
What happened in Kyiv
As reported by Ukrainian media, on November 4, residents of the capital blocked traffic on Yordanska Street in the Obolonskyi District, as well as near the Zhytomyrska metro station by a Novus supermarket. The protest was caused by prolonged power supply interruptions. Specifically, residents of building No. 24 on Yordanska Street reported that they had no stable electricity for almost five days: the power would appear periodically, but only for about 20 minutes at a time, after which it would cut out again.
President's reaction and call to the Ministry of Internal Affairs
In the interview, Zelenskyy stated that he saw the blocked road "yesterday" and immediately called Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko. According to his account, the Interior Minister confirmed that law enforcement officers "did some work" at the site because some people had indeed been without electricity for a long time. The President emphasized that the police quickly contacted groups of electricians, everyone was brought to the facility, the infrastructure started working, and the people dispersed.
The reason: shortage of workers at the energy facility
Zelenskyy identified the insufficient number of workers at the damaged energy facility as the key explanation for the situation. "You cannot repair things lackadaisically," he emphasized, adding that restoration works during a crisis must be carried out quickly and with full dedication. At the same time, the head of state spoke out against the format of the protest itself, stating that "blocking roads is definitely not the right way."
Broader context: pressure on the energy system
The actions in Kyiv are taking place against the backdrop of a wider crisis in the energy sector. Due to Russian strikes, Ukrainian nuclear power plants were forced to reduce output, and the most severe situation, according to available data, is observed in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. It was the combination of large-scale infrastructure damage and the shortage of repair crews, according to the President, that caused the cleanup to drag on, triggering a wave of public outrage.
