Zelensky, Kyiv mayor clash over Ukrainian capital’s winter plans

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the Kyiv authorities on Oct 13 for their winter preparations, prompting a swift counter-attack from the city’s embattled mayor.Zelensky said he had held a meeting on Oct 12 to hear about contingency plans for Ukraine’s cities and regions as the weather turns colder and Russia’s military invasion inches towards its fifth anniversary.But he added: “As of mid-October, virtually across the entire country – even in border and frontline regions – the implementation of resilience plans is further advanced than in Kyiv.”“And Kyiv residents certainly feel it – when even isolated hits by ‘shaheds’ cause electricity and water outages across large parts of the capital,” he continued, referring to the Russian jet-powered attack drones.Zelensky made similar criticisms of Kyiv officials in 2025, prompting former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko to hit back.Klitschko, who has served as Kyiv’s elected mayor since 2014, has been at odds with Zelensky since soon after the latter became president in 2019, when he accused Zelensky’s administration of an illegal attempt to curb his mayoral powers.In 2026, the mayor said the accusations were “groundless” and accused the central government of trying to “destroy local self-government” and replace him.“People elected me and I am working, doing everything possible, under extremely difficult conditions to justify the trust of Kyiv residents so that the city can function amid constant devastating attacks by the enemy,” he wrote on Telegram.Kyiv, which is home to some three million people, has come under increasing attack from Russian drones and missiles, with energy infrastructure a key target.The attacks have forced rolling blackouts and emergency outages to ease pressure on the grid, plunging large parts of the city into darkness and temporarily stopping the Kyiv metro.Water supplies, which also depend on electricity to run pumps, have also been hit.Klitschko told AFP last week the capital was in “survival” mode due to the round-the-clock attacks which were slowing plans to build back-up heating systems, and fuel, food and water stockpiles.“No matter how well we prepare, if air defence does not work, we could end up in a bad scenario,” he said, adding: “Finding scapegoats won’t make people warmer.” AFP