The key facts
- As of November 5, more than 45% of Kyiv's residential buildings are connected to heating — data from Mayor Vitali Klitschko
- The heating season officially began on October 16, but the housing stock was only connected starting November 2
- City authorities expect full heat supply by around November 12, provided there are no new accidents
More than half of Kyiv's homes are still without heat
More than half of Kyiv's residential buildings remain without heating amid the November cold snap. According to the city's mayor Vitali Klitschko, speaking on November 5 following a meeting of the Kyiv City Council, more than 45% of the capital's housing stock has been connected to heating.
Why the connection is delayed
The heating season in Kyiv officially began back on October 16, but initially heat was supplied only to hospitals, kindergartens and schools. The connection of residential buildings started only on November 2. City authorities explained this by the scale of the infrastructure: the centralized heating system stretches for three thousand kilometers, and launching it takes time. According to the Kyiv City Administration's estimate, connecting all residential buildings may take about ten days — most buildings should receive heat by November 12, provided no new accidents occur.
Complicating circumstances
The weather makes the situation worse: during the day it is about four degrees above zero in Kyiv, with temperatures expected to drop to plus one at night. In addition, according to Life.ru, even before the connection of residential buildings began, Klitschko warned that part of the Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi districts would remain without heat due to serious damage to an energy facility; priority connection was then arranged for social institutions, and restoration work on the damaged infrastructure continues.
