Kyiv among Ukraine’s least prepared for winter, lawmaker warns

Kyiv is among the least-prepared regions in Ukraine for the upcoming winter, with concerns mounting over the protection of critical infrastructure, Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Bohdan Kitsak has said.

According to Kitsak, the capital has one of the country’s weakest preparedness records. He pointed to the slow pace of preparations and what he described as inadequate measures to safeguard critical infrastructure, urging Kyiv residents to prepare for potentially severe conditions.

The lawmaker warned that the coming winter could prove particularly challenging not only for Kyiv but also for residents of other major Ukrainian cities.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank reportedly said the Kyiv City Council had been forced to urgently secure a 2.5 billion hryvnia ($56 million) loan specifically to finance preparations for the heating season.

By Vafa Guliyeva