Ukraine pledged 10 additional generators for Kyiv's water utility after Russian strikes cut power to its main facilities and interrupted service across the capital, amid a dispute over the city's winter preparations.
The Obolonskyi District Administration said on Nov. 3 that damage to energy infrastructure had left Kyivvodokanal's main facilities without electricity and stopped water service citywide. The Sviatoshynskyi District Administration reported on Nov. 4 that centralized supply had resumed.
Grid operator Ukrenergo described the assault as among the largest against Ukraine's energy infrastructure. It said energy facilities had been attacked more than 20 times in the previous 24 hours and reported emergency electricity cuts in Kyiv and other regions.
Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi announced the generator pledge Nov. 5. The government also designated 21 generators for 12 communities elsewhere, saying backup power was important for water and wastewater services. The announcement set no delivery or installation date.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Kyiv's preparations on Nov. 6, identifying backup power for the water utility as a problem. He said Russian forces were targeting grids, transformers and switchgear.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city had prepared its centralized heating system. He said heat had reached nearly 55% of apartment buildings and more than 78% of social institutions as of Nov. 6. Klitschko also accused the central government of taking almost six months to approve Kyiv's resilience plan.
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) approved the plan Aug. 5. The approval date does not establish how much of the plan had been carried out when the water outage occurred.
On Nov. 7, Zelenskyy said Russian strikes on substations and power grids were causing electricity shortages even though Ukraine was generating more power than it consumed. Kyiv resident Sofia Hohol told The Kyiv Independent that she feared the capital was unprepared for winter.
