The Ukrainian government has established plans for preparing regions, cities, and communities for the upcoming winter heating season. However, several areas, including Kyiv, are lagging behind schedule.
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that all regions and municipalities are required to have approved resilience plans. These documents outline the necessary tasks to ensure that citizens have access to heat and electricity during the winter months, regardless of potential threats.
“The deadline for implementing resilience plans for all cities and communities is September 1 of this year. There is a strict schedule for signing contracts and executing works that must be adhered to by all regional and local authorities. Unfortunately, as of today, not all regions are functioning as required to protect the people,”
the President stated.
Zelensky pointed out that particular attention was given during a recent meeting with regional leaders, which included Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and other government officials, to the Donetsk, Chernihiv, Lviv, Poltava, and Kirovohrad regions, as well as Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Kyiv.
“In the capital, there is evidently a lack of understanding that sufficient backup sources of electricity and heating must be ensured for all districts of the city next winter,”
he added.
The President also noted that there are issues concerning several energy facilities in Lviv Oblast, stressing the need to identify who is responsible for the timely execution of state tasks.
Additionally, Zelensky tasked the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, in collaboration with the Minister of Defense, to work with the leaders of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv regions to enhance the provision of interceptors and train crews.
The Ukrainian government has set plans for winter preparation, but several regions, including Kyiv and Lviv, are not meeting deadlines. President Zelensky has called for urgent action to ensure adequate heating and electricity supplies for the upcoming winter season.