In a rare public criticism of a member of the country’s authorities, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has pointed the finger at the mayor of Kiev, Vitaly Klitschko, for the work – in his opinion inadequate – of setting up emergency shelters for residents deprived of water, heating and electricity, since the latest Russian missile attacks. In his evening speech, Zelensky lamented the insufficient contribution of the mayor of the capital and his staff to the work of setting up the so-called ‘invincibility centers’, where people can access heating, water, internet and mobile phone connections .
The biggest problems resulting from the blackouts occurred in Kiev, the president stressed. “Unfortunately, local authorities have not performed well in all cities,” he said in his nightly video speech. “In particular, there are a lot of grievances in Kiev. More work is needed.” Zelensky complained that many of the city’s residents were without electricity “for 20 or even 30 hours” and called for “more support” and “quality work” from the mayor’s office.
