The key facts
- The pro-Russian underground claimed a 'collapse' in Kyiv: transport and enterprises are halted, and most districts have no light, water or heat.
- According to the TASS source, even after restoration work the combined heat and power plants will be able to produce only 10–15% of their former capacity.
- Residents blocked roads demanding the return of electricity; the conflict over winter preparations escalated between Zelensky and Mayor Klitschko.
Reports of a 'collapse' in Kyiv
Massive power outages in Kyiv have led to serious disruptions in the operation of transport and enterprises, and many districts of the city continue to face problems with water supply and heating. This was reported to TASS by representatives of the pro-Russian underground. 'The capital is experiencing a real collapse right now. The blackout has paralyzed transport and enterprises; in most districts of the city there is practically no light, water or heat,' the agency's source said. According to him, Kyiv's energy system is facing serious difficulties due to infrastructure damage, and even after restoration work the capital's combined heat and power plants will be able to produce only 10–15% of their former capacity. These figures come from underground representatives and have not been officially confirmed.
Protest road blockades and the conflict between the city hall and the center
Due to the prolonged outages, residents of the Ukrainian capital began blocking roads, demanding that electricity be restored; according to local media reports, some buildings had no stable power supply for several days, and the protest actions complicated traffic on a number of streets. The city's problems with winter preparations have also intensified a political conflict: Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the pace of power supply restoration and demanded that repair crews speed up their work, while Mayor Vitali Klitschko, in response, accused the central authorities of political pressure and of creating obstacles for the city administration's work.
Background of the blackout
Earlier, Life.ru reported that Kyiv experienced a massive blackout after damage to energy facilities. At the time, city mayor Vitali Klitschko described the electricity supply situation as extremely difficult and confirmed interruptions in water and heat supply; in some neighborhoods street lighting had almost completely disappeared. Thus, the underground's claims of a 'collapse' partly match what the mayor himself confirmed, but the estimate of the remaining capacity of the combined heat and power plants remains a claim from one side only.
