Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are publicly clashing over the capital city’s preparedness for winter amid ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving residents without essential services.
Energy Crisis in Kyiv
Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, home to over 3 million people, has been facing a humanitarian crisis following Russia’s Jan. 9 attack, leaving residents without heating, hot water, and electricity. Experts say the city has been poorly run overall, and the responsibility for the ongoing crisis lies with both the central and local authorities.
President Zelensky has criticized Kyiv’s readiness, comparing it unfavorably to other heavily bombarded cities like Kharkiv, stating they were better equipped to handle the consequences of Russian attacks. “Kyiv, unfortunately, has done much less — far too little has been done in the capital,” Zelensky said on Jan. 14. “And even these past few days, I haven’t seen sufficient effort — all of this must be urgently corrected.”
Klitschko dismissed Zelensky’s accusations as “groundless” and politicized, stating the government had not coordinated any joint response to the crisis.
Victoria Voitsitska, a member of the supervisory board of the We Build Ukraine think tank, told the Kyiv Independent that the city was not prepared and that everyone appeared to be blaming each other. “Lots of things could have been done. But it seems like everyone was looking at each other, prepared to blame the other party for the misgivings that ordinary people are going through right now.”
Power Struggle and Divided Authority
The dispute between Zelensky and Klitschko extends beyond the immediate crisis, rooted in a long-standing political conflict dating back to 2019. Observers see the back-and-forth as a power struggle for control over Ukraine’s capital and its finances, as well as Klitschko’s potential presidential ambitions.
Kyiv’s unique status, as both a city and a region, complicates governance. While Klitschko holds both the elected mayoral position and the post of head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Zelensky appointed Tymur Tkachenko to lead Kyiv’s Military Administration, creating an unclear division of powers. Klitschko has accused Tkachenko of attempting to usurp the mayor’s authority.
Zelensky reportedly considered ousting Klitschko from his role as head of the Kyiv City State Administration after a Russian attack in 2023 killed three people near a locked shelter.
Oleksiy Kuleba, deputy prime minister and the community and territories development minister, stated that Kyiv authorities failed to properly deploy a backup power system, critical infrastructure lacked backup energy sources, and there was insufficient public communication with residents about power outage procedures.
Despite having a substantial local budget surplus, Klitschko has been criticized for “irresponsibly” spending funds, including on park renovations, according to Voitsitska.
From the start of his presidency, Zelensky sought a loyalist to head the Kyiv City State Administration, but a legal provision requires the post to be held by the city’s elected mayor.
Olena Pavlenko, president and co-founder of the Ukrainian DiXi Group think tank, noted that many international projects have provided assistance to Kyiv for heat supply, including generators. “The question is how much of that stuff was installed and whether it was destroyed before or not,” she said.
Klitschko has faced criticism at home for his handling of the city, with allegations of illegal construction and corruption involving his allies.
“If it ends up with who is guilty and let’s punish them in the middle of winter, I think we might end up with no heat at all,” Pavlenko said. “I would suggest keeping these investigations and punishments at least after the heating season is over.”
Klitschko said that he hasn’t had any personal meetings with Zelensky since the all-out war began.
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