Eight buildings in Kyiv have been flooded with hot water for two months due to break in heating network: utility companies are shifting responsibility. VIDEO&PHOTOS
For two months, eight buildings in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv have been flooded with hot water. Despite appeals to the utility services, the problem has yet to be resolved.
This was reported by Censor.NET.
2 months of flooding
Sviatoslav Ivchenko, owner and director of HEDONIST Bar&Kitchen (45 Antonovycha Street), which operates in the basement of one of the buildings, said that on 2 December 2025, the establishment was flooded with hot water due to a break in the heating network located in the courtyard of the building.
‘The heating network somehow got into the neighbouring boiler room through the groundwater and from the boiler room it got into our bar. Our bar is located in the basement," said Sviatoslav.
What the emergency services and housing maintenance department say
"Of course, we contacted everyone we could – the housing office, the emergency services. But so far, nothing has been done. The emergency services came and said there was nothing they could do. So, hot water is leaking from underground, from the heating mains, half of Kyiv is without heating, but in our bar, hot water is leaking every day, flooding the place. We pump it out every day... The question is, why are the utility companies pouring this water into the ground when everyone is sitting without heating? This is hot water that has been flowing continuously for two months," says Sviatoslav.
According to him, the hot water level reached 1.5 metres that day.
"We spent several days pumping out the water. The municipal services signed a report stating that the flooding was caused by a break in the heating pipes. Somehow, they managed to repair everything. We pumped out the water at our own expense, lost a lot of equipment, all the equipment was burned, and all the food was spoiled. We rebuilt everything over several weeks of intensive work – without any help from those responsible for the accident," says the bar owner.
Flooding Act
Sviatoslav notes that despite the fact that the heating network in the courtyard has been repaired, hot water continues to flood the premises, albeit in smaller quantities. This situation has been going on for two months now.
"Our premises are equipped with drainage pumps that pump out groundwater. Of course, they somehow cope with the excess hot water that has been flowing for two months now," said the owner of the establishment.
In response to the institution's appeal, the housing and utilities department replied that this was a matter for the heating network and did not fall within their remit.
"The water is not coming from the premises belonging to the housing and utilities department, but from somewhere underground. We also sent (an appeal - ed.) to the emergency (services - ed.). The emergency services said, "This is not our responsibility, it is the heating network's responsibility, we cannot do anything, someone will come and install pumps for you". For 10 years, I have been installing pumps myself in all the premises where it was possible. And they worked until we entered this regime of severe blackouts," says Sviatoslav.
The prolonged absence of electricity, as Sviatoslav notes, makes it difficult to pump out water.
"Day or night, we often have no electricity and the premises are simply flooded," says the owner of the establishment.
The establishment also attempted to submit a request to resolve its issue to the Kyiv City Contact Centre.
"For example, today we attempted to submit a request via 1551 throughout the day. We were 120th in line, then 140th, then 110th. In other words, it is impossible to wait for any request to be processed. We left requests online, regularly called the emergency services, sent our representative to the housing and utilities office, the emergency services, and the heating network," said Sviatoslav.
However, none of the appeals yielded any results.
"The water is flowing, and no one cares except the staff of the establishment and me, who pays for everything to pump it out... For example, today all our pumps were working all day and they couldn't pump it out. That means the amount of hot water flowing is getting more and more," says the owner of the establishment.
The problem complicates an already difficult situation for businesses
"We will overcome any difficulties, and we have been through worse, but what is the point of all this? This is not a matter of wartime, it is a matter of maintaining external urban communications, which did not arise now, but has been neglected for decades, systematically. Electricity now costs us 4-5 times more, which is why many restaurants are closing," added Sviatoslav.
