Kyiv forced into survival mode by Russian strikes ahead of winter, mayor says
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said intensified Russian strikes on Kyiv's infrastructure have forced the capital into a fight for survival ahead of winter.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said intensified Russian attacks on bridges and critical infrastructure have forced the Ukrainian capital into a "survival" posture ahead of winter, in an interview with news agency AFP. "Every day there are new reports of damaged buildings and people wounded or tragically killed, as the shelling of our city intensifies. Today this is about survival," he said.
Russia has escalated both missile and drone attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks as part of a tactical shift, and has resumed strikes on Ukraine's energy grid, AFP reported. The attacks have caused power cuts and prompted residents to brace for a repeat of last winter, when heating and electricity were lost for days as temperatures fell to minus 20 degrees Celsius, AFP reported.
Kyiv authorities cancelled emergency power cuts on Thursday, including in the Brovary, Bucha, Vyshhorod and Boryspil districts of the surrounding region, returning the capital to scheduled rotation outages, grid operator DTEK said. The earlier voltage drop had also disrupted water utility operations, lowering pressure in the Holosiivskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Solomianskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts, and caused widespread delays to trams and trolleybuses, DTEK said.
The New York Times reported that Ukraine had shown European partners intercepted Russian plans to cut major cities off from electricity, heating and water this winter, citing a document describing a planned series of strikes using up to 1,000 missiles, drones and bombs targeting power substations, hydroelectric plants, thermal power stations and boiler houses.
Klitschko urged Kyiv residents to consider temporarily staying with friends or family outside the capital, though he stressed he was not calling for a complete evacuation. "This is Putin's goal, that we all leave the city and hand it and our country over to him," he said. Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday its forces had carried out a "massive attack" on military-industrial facilities in Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions, Reuters reported.
Ukraine has faced a critical shortage of air defences for months, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior officials to request more help and supplies, AFP reported.
What we know
- Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said intensified Russian strikes on bridges and infrastructure have forced the capital into "survival mode" ahead of winter, he told AFP.
- Russia has escalated missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and resumed strikes on Ukraine's energy grid in recent weeks, AFP reported.
- Kyiv cancelled emergency power cuts on Thursday and returned to scheduled rotation outages; the earlier outage had also lowered water pressure in several districts and delayed trams and trolleybuses, grid operator DTEK said.
- The New York Times reported Ukraine showed European partners an intercepted Russian plan for a winter campaign of up to 1,000 missiles, drones and bombs against power, heating and water infrastructure.
- Klitschko urged residents to consider temporarily staying with friends or family outside Kyiv, but said he was not calling for a full evacuation.
Why it matters for Europe
Kyiv's power and heating network was already pushed to the limit last winter, when repeated Russian strikes cut electricity and heat for days as temperatures fell to minus 20C, AFP reported. A systematic Russian campaign against water, power and heating infrastructure, as described in the intercepted plan reported by the New York Times, would deepen a winter crisis across Ukraine's largest cities, not just the capital.
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Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 3 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What did Kyiv's mayor say?
- Vitali Klitschko said intensified Russian strikes on infrastructure have forced Kyiv into "survival mode" ahead of winter, he told AFP.
- What happened with Kyiv's power supply on Thursday?
- Authorities cancelled emergency power cuts and returned to scheduled rotation outages, grid operator DTEK said, after disruptions also hit water pressure and public transport.
- Did Russia plan a wider winter campaign?
- The New York Times reported that Ukraine showed European partners an intercepted Russian plan for strikes using up to 1,000 missiles, drones and bombs against power, heating and water infrastructure this winter.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.