Kyiv enters "survival mode" ahead of winter due to Russian strikes. I advise leaving temporarily, - Klitschko
Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said that intensified Russian strikes have pushed the capital into "survival mode" and advised residents with relatives outside the city to consider leaving temporarily.
He said this in an interview with AFP, Censor.NET reports.
What the capital's mayor said
According to Klitschko, new reports of destroyed homes, injuries and deaths arrive every day as attacks on the capital intensify.
"Today, it is a question of survival," he said.
The mayor advised Kyiv residents with friends or relatives outside the city to consider leaving temporarily. He gave similar advice last year, prompting a wave of criticism. However, Klitschko stressed that he would never call for a full evacuation.
"That is Putin's goal… the best scenario for Putin is for all of us to leave and hand him our empty cities and country," he said.
Change in Russian tactics
AFP notes that Russia has changed its tactics in recent weeks: it has expanded daytime missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, targeting bridges and the city center, and resumed strikes on the power grid. This has caused power outages in the city, and Kyiv residents are preparing for a repeat of last winter, when heating and electricity were unavailable for several days at temperatures as low as -20°C.
With the front line largely static, Moscow has focused on long-range strikes against Kyiv, using ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept and jet-powered drones, according to the agency's assessment.
Casualties and bridges
According to Kyiv City State Administration Health Department data obtained by AFP, at least 534 people have been killed in Russian attacks in Kyiv since 2022. Already this year, 189 people have been killed — more than in all of 2025.
Russia has repeatedly struck bridges across the Dnipro, forcing traffic in the city to be suspended. According to Klitschko, the connection between the Left and Right Banks is one of the key factors in the city's ability to function.
- The city is developing alternative pontoon crossings to ease traffic congestion: Kyiv's daytime population, including people coming into the city, is around 3.5 million.
Problems with electricity, water and the metro
Recent strikes caused power outages and left parts of Kyiv without water for several hours earlier this week. A few hours after the interview, Kyiv metro train services were temporarily suspended due to power supply disruptions.
- Klitschko also warned that water supply disruptions could cause a "fairly large-scale" crisis.
Preparations for winter
To prepare for winter, the city is establishing backup heating systems and stockpiling fuel, food and drinking water.
"No matter how well we prepare, if air defenses do not work, we could face a bad scenario," Klitschko said.
The mayor attributed some shortcomings to the actions of the government, with which he has long been in conflict. The government, in turn, has repeatedly accused Kyiv's authorities of falling behind on winter preparation plans. Klitschko considers these accusations unfounded.
"Looking for scapegoats will not keep people warmer," he stressed.
According to him, the city authorities face a "very difficult" task with limited time, funding and staff.
An air raid alert sounded in the city during his conversation with AFP.
"When I hear an air raid alert, I pray to God — and to our air defenses, because the life of our city depends on them," Klitschko said.
