As Russian troops continue to pound Ukraine’s infrastructure in an apparent attempt to leave its citizens without power as winter approaches, officials said Sunday that Ukraine’s capital city is preparing for a total electricity blackout.
If such a scenario comes to pass, Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said city residents should be prepared to evacuate as part of the capital’s blackout plan, noting that having plans in case of various scenarios of development of events and emergency situations is necessary for the war situation in which they live.
Stressing there’s no imminent need for Ukrainians to panic or evacuate Kyiv, Klitschko urged citizens to plan to stay temporarily with relatives or friends living in the suburbs of Kyiv who have a separate water supply, a stove, and heating.
The mayor of Kyiv underscored Ukraine’s need for robust preparations as Russia attempts to collapse its energy sector.
Other Ukrainian officials, including Roman Tkachuk, the director of security for Kyiv’s municipal government, also pointed out that plans are in place to try and battle a blackout that would require a full evacuation of Kyiv.
Tkachuk note they’re aware of the risk of losing the entire electricity system if Russia continues the attacks. In order to conserve power and keep the grid from total failure, Ukraine is conducting stabilization blackouts in Kyiv and elsewhere.
In his address on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that stabilization blackouts continue in Kyiv and six regions as of Sunday evening, noting that it will create a difficult situation in which more than 4.5 million consumers will be without electricity.
Zelensky reportedly had met with several government officials, regional administrators, and energy company representatives to discuss probable scenarios in the energy sector and prepare appropriate actions.
Part of Kyiv’s plans is establishing around 1,000 heating shelters in the event of power loss during the winter with Klitschko noting that electric generators are already purchased, and these heating points are already supplied with water and everything necessary to receive people, warm them up, offer them tea of to recharge their phones as well as any other help necessary.