Kyiv Mayor pushes back against claims of Kyiv heating disruption

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko dismissed allegations that the city's heating season was being disrupted as "groundless" in a video address. He stated that city authorities are actively preparing for the beginning of the heating season despite ongoing Russian attacks. Klitschko accused media outlets aligned with the central government of spreading these false claims.

Additionally, he alleged that there were attempts to remove local leaders from their positions for fabricated reasons, aiming to weaken local self-government and install military administration heads. Klitschko claimed it was his goal to prevent the removal of 300 community leaders and emphasized his role in upholding the trust residents placed in him.

He expressed confidence that voters would judge his performance in upcoming elections. Klitschko also rejected accusations of negligence in handling the heating season, pointing out that the city had been providing updates on preparation efforts. However, he noted that due to the severity of shelling, power outages, infrastructure damage, and his responsibilities as mayor, he could not be solely accountable for air defense.

An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported that the Verkhovna Rada backed a motion by MP Mariana Bezuhla to summon Klitschko, with 151 MPs voting in favor and eight against during Tuesday's session.