"The issue is survival": Mayor Klitschko advises Kyiv residents to consider leaving capital

Kyiv is facing a matter of survival amid intensifying Russian attacks, and residents who have friends or relatives outside the capital should consider temporarily leaving the city, Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said.

Source: Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko in an interview with AFP, as reported by France 24

Details: Klitschko said that Kyiv residents who have friends or family outside the capital should consider moving in with them temporarily.

Quote from Klitschko: "Every day brings new reports of destroyed buildings, of people injured or tragically killed, as the attacks on our city intensify. Today the issue is survival."

Details: Nonetheless, the mayor stressed that he would not call for a full evacuation of Kyiv. According to Klitschko, leaving cities empty and handing them over to Russia is the exact scenario that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin wants.

Ahead of the winter, the capital is preparing back-up heating systems and stockpiling fuel, food and drinking water. However, Klitschko warned that even proper preparation does not rule out an unfavourable scenario if air defences fail to repel the attacks.

Russian strikes are already causing power outages and disruptions to water supplies. The mayor warned that disruptions to water supply infrastructure could lead to a large-scale crisis.

Background:

• On the morning of 8 October, emergency power outages were introduced in Kyiv and several districts of Kyiv Oblast on the orders of national energy company Ukrenergo.
• Later, it was reported that the power grid lacked the capacity to transmit electricity due to damaged networks, and the scale of power outages increased to three consumer groups.
• At 17:30 on 8 October, emergency power outages in Kyiv were cancelled and scheduled power cuts were reinstated. Almost immediately afterwards, the metro and some public transport services came to a halt.
• Emergency power outages occurred again in Kyiv due to a Russian attack – roughly one hour and 18 minutes after the announcement of a return to scheduled cuts.

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