Ukraine's PM says some Kyiv residents should already be thinking about alternative winter housing

Ukraine's Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi has said some residents of the capital should already be thinking about finding an alternative place to live this winter, which is set to be a hard one, particularly due to potential power cuts.

Source: Koretskyi in an interview with Ukrainian media outlet TSN.Tyzhden

Details: Koretskyi noted that this primarily applies to people with reduced mobility and people with disabilities.

Quote: "For these people, it is probably advisable to find somewhere else to live for the winter period."

Details: Asked whether people should prepare to leave large cities, Koretskyi said leaving is an extreme measure.

Quote: "I always proceed from the worst-case scenario... However... leaving is an extreme measure, but… for example, some people have reduced mobility or disabilities. Why would their relatives or the city's social services not be concerned about these people? Especially in the capital. I've spoken about this with the mayor [of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko – ed.]. We know the exact number. This can be done ahead of the winter."

Details: Koretskyi said people who live on high floors of apartment buildings should also consider their living arrangements for the winter.

Quote: "What if someone lives on the 16th floor, for example, and there are power cuts? Why wait until attacks and destruction occur and the State Emergency Service and specialist staff need to focus on dealing with the consequences, but at that exact moment we have to deal with people who require additional attention instead? Why not do this today? That's why we are doing it."

Details: Koretskyi noted that Kyiv in particular is working on this.

"We are dealing with this and so is the city. At least, there has been a report [from Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko – ed.]," he said, adding that locations have already been identified in the capital where people with particular needs can spend the winter.

He also pointed out that alongside the action being taken by the authorities, residents need to do their part as well.

Quote: "We're also asking people to do their homework... For example, if there are disruptions in the heating supply, what happens then? People will switch over to 'plugging in', as they say. In other words, they'll keep warm using electrical appliances plugged into sockets. So homeowners' associations and housing maintenance offices need to attend to their buildings now, to fix, repair or possibly replace these electrical panels and switchboards so that they don't burn out or in order to have a back-up."

Details: Koretskyi added that the government offers several support programmes – grants, interest-free loans, no-deposit loans and so on.

Quote: "We have allocated funds and they are in the state budget, they are in banks, and we compensate the banks for these interest rates. So do it. We have a tradition that winter always takes us by surprise. But when that happens in the fifth year of the war, well, that is unacceptable."

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