Without Water, Light, and Heat, an 'Apocalypse' May Begin in Kyiv - Klitschko

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, has warned of an 'apocalypse' in the capital of Ukraine this winter. Klitschko made this statement during an interview with Reuters.

He noted that such a situation could arise if Russian airstrikes on infrastructure continue. At the same time, the mayor asserted that there is currently no need to evacuate residents, although they should be prepared for such a possibility.

“Kyiv could be left without light, water, and heat. An apocalypse can happen, like in Hollywood movies, when it becomes impossible to live in homes due to low temperatures,” Klitschko said. “But we are fighting and doing everything possible to prevent this from happening,” continued the former boxer.

He mentioned the absence of heated shelters that could accommodate all 3.6 million residents in the event of a complete power outage, and people should be ready to evacuate if the situation worsens.

“At this moment, we have prepared about 500 autonomous heating points, but 500 units are nothing for a city with a population of 3 million,” he noted.

Klitschko outlined a potential scenario where the city could remain without centralized heating until spring, when temperatures could drop to as low as -15 degrees Celsius.

“If electricity is not supplied, and the air temperature remains low, unfortunately, we will have to remove the water from the heating system. Otherwise, the water may freeze and burst the entire water supply network, at which point buildings will become completely uninhabitable for further use,” he said.

Klitschko urged residents to prepare emergency supplies of food and water, as well as have warm clothing and documents ready for quick departure in case of a power outage.