Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko advises residents with friends or family outside the city to consider leaving temporarily amid escalating Russian attacks

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has advised residents who have friends or family living outside the Ukrainian capital to consider leaving the city temporarily, as reported by AFP. The mayor expressed concern over the escalating Russian attacks, stating that each day brings reports of destroyed buildings, injured and killed civilians, and that survival is now the primary issue.

Klitschko explicitly ruled out a full evacuation, warning that this would be Putin's objective - to have Ukraine's cities and country handed over to him. He also mentioned that Kyiv is preparing backup heating systems, and stockpiling essential supplies like fuel, food, and drinking water, but he cautioned that even meticulous preparations may not suffice if air defenses cannot thwart the attacks.

Russian aggression in Kyiv intensified from September 22 to 28, resulting in 13 deaths and over 160 injuries. In early October, Russian forces targeted key transport links in Kyiv, including the Dnipro River bridges. President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering military commanders to disregard international law during air strikes on Ukraine.