President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine criticised the mayor of Kyiv on Friday for what he claimed was a bad job of putting up emergency shelters to support those without electricity or heat after Russian attacks, in a rare public disagreement between Ukrainian leaders.
Contextual details
Following devastating Russian missile attacks on the power-generating infrastructure, Ukraine has set up huge numbers of so-called “invincibility centres” where citizens can get access to heat, water, the internet, and mobile phone connections. Zelensky said that Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, and his staff had not done enough to assist in an evening speech.
He stated that unfortunately, not all cities have seen strong local government performance. Particularly in Kyiv, there are several concerns. More work is necessary said Zelensky, to put it mildly, he claimed that the quality of services offered in many Kyiv centres was inadequate. He also requested to take note that many Kyiv residents had been without power for 20 or even 30 hours. People thus needed more assistance. ” We expect quality work from the mayor’s office “, Zelensky stated additional.
Zelensky criticised
In addition, he claimed had falsified their official reports, but he avoided going into specifics. So far, more than 4,000 centres have been established.
Zelensky worked during the conflict to promote the idea of national unity, and he typically praises leaders, so the statements were surprising. 2014 saw the election of 51-year-old former boxer Vitali Klitschko as mayor of Kyiv. From his office, there was no quick response.
According to NATO officials, aid to Ukraine is now more strategic and long-term than it was during the initial, frantic weeks following Russia’s invasion.
However, the alliance intentionally makes a distinction between the military assistance it offers to its own members and the assistance supplied to Ukraine, which is made and voted upon by the national governments of NATO members, not by the alliance as a whole.
The Kremlin does not acknowledge this “gossamer-thin” divide, as one official in Brussels described it to me. But Nato needs it in order to prevent a direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, which would only escalate the situation.
NATO’s stand on the issue
Nato has therefore significantly increased its defence capabilities for its “Eastern flank” of member nations that are situated near Russia, but the organisation claims it has no plans to do so.
The number of attacks on the Ukrainian city of Kherson has increased for the second day in a row since Russia retreated two weeks ago after an eight-month occupation. According to Ukrainian sources, Russia continued to bombard Kherson on Friday, and the attacks the day before claimed at least 10 lives.
The Kherson region’s governor, Yaroslav Yanushevych, reported on Telegram that the area was shelled “54 times” on Thursday. Yanukovych claimed that the Russians struck private and apartment buildings, a shipyard, a building on the grounds of the school, and gas pipes.Â
Zelenivka, Chornobayivka, and Stepanivka were among the settlements in the district that the enemy also shelled. In addition, Yanushevych noted that during the shelling, 10 persons perished and 54 others were hurt.
Further developments
Millions of people who had been left without electricity following catastrophic Russian airstrikes were gradually given power back as Kherson was rebuilding from the wreckage after the ongoing shelling on Friday. After completely losing off-site power previously this week, the nation’s four nuclear power reactors have now been reconnected to the national grid,
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday. This was the first time in Ukrainian history that the facilities were all cut off from the power grid on Wednesday. The IAEA nuclear watchdog announced in a statement that Ukraine had informed it on Friday that its Rivne, South Ukraine, and Khmelnytskyi sites had been reconnected. Ukraine’s sizable Zaporizhzhia plant was reconnected on Thursday, Kyiv had earlier announced.
