‘The Worst Situation’: Zelensky and Klitschko Clash Over Energy Crisis

Residents of Ukraine’s capital are enduring electricity outages lasting from several hours to several days, alongside prolonged interruptions to water and heating, as President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mayor Vitali Klitschko offered competing accounts of the city’s preparedness for Russian attacks. Zelensky said Kyiv faced the country’s most serious utility disruptions following strikes on energy infrastructure. He attributed the situation to both Russia’s campaign and failures to implement preparations at the city level.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The worst situation is in Kyiv: People and businesses face prolonged electricity and water outages, and the challenges are very serious,” Zelensky wrote after a coordination meeting on recovery efforts across Ukraine. He said the conditions reflected the failure to carry out municipal decisions on preparations for the heating season. His post did not identify the specific decisions or name individual officials. Klitschko defended the capital’s preparations, saying the city’s resilience plan had gone without approval for nearly six months. His statement did not identify who was responsible for the delay. The mayor also criticized references to bureaucratic arrangements for helping Kyiv, contrasting them with what he described as months of inaction over the plan. Air defenses are essential Klitschko said an energy coordination headquarters had been working since spring to maintain essential city services, bringing together energy specialists, technical experts, and scientists. Other Topics of Interest Russia Used Oleshky Truce to Reinforce Front Ukrainian forces say Russian troops moved 20 kilometers closer to the front line and may be preparing for an advance on Kherson. The group had developed measures for different scenarios, he said, adding that some details could not be disclosed publicly. But the mayor argued that preparations and physical protective structures alone could not secure critical infrastructure against repeated missile and drone attacks. “With attacks of this intensity, without air defense systems protecting key facilities, their restoration, stable operation, and very existence are in serious doubt,” Klitschko said. Protective structures cannot withstand several missiles or drones striking at once, he added. Government seeks equipment and additional repair crews Zelensky said the national government was supplying additional equipment and working to speed up repairs in the capital. Agreements with Germany and Spain would help provide generators, cables, and other equipment, he said, following discussions with political leaders and companies during visits to those countries. He also called on state-owned and private energy companies to deploy more repair crews. The prime minister reported on the launch of monthly supplementary payments for workers involved in restoration, including energy, utility, railway, and water supply personnel. Designated military capabilities were also being used to help restore electricity networks and energy facilities, Zelensky said. Military commanders briefed the meeting on the use of combat aircraft, mobile air defense units, and teams protecting infrastructure to intercept Russian Shahed attack drones. Ukraine is preparing additional ammunition supplies for its F-16 fighter jets under agreements with partners, Zelensky added. In January 2026, Kyiv authorities reported no heating in over 1,670 buildings after a major Russian attack, with thermal plants among those targeted throughout the winter as temperatures plummeted to -30°C (-22°F) at times. At the time, Kyiv Post correspondents reported indoor temperatures as low as 6.9°C (44.4°F) in apartments enduring more than 24 hours of extensive power cuts, as authorities were also forced to drain water from heating pipes for fear they would burst from ice. Kateryna investigates today's most important topics, from geopolitical challenges and defense strategies to stories that change the course of events. She explores the secrets of Ukraine's intelligence services and shows the hidden side of global events. Her passion is uncovering secrets that change history. Born and lives in Kyiv.