In the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, despite the ongoing shelling and the difficult situation, a decision has been taken to start the heating season. This was announced by the mayor, Vitali Klitschko. As a first priority, heating will be supplied to social services – hospitals, schools and nurseries. However, not all districts will be able to connect to the heating supply straight away: in the Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi districts, the power grid has been damaged by recent attacks, and repairs are still ongoing.
Klitschko emphasised that connections will be made on the basis of individual requests from the heads of these institutions. This decision was taken against the backdrop of ongoing attacks on the capital. A new weapon being used in the attacks – jet-powered drones, which have come into use in the Russia-Ukraine conflict – is striking critical infrastructure, including Kyiv’s thermal power stations.
By way of comparison, last year the heating season for residential buildings did not begin until 29 October, taking into account weather conditions and the need to reduce the load on the electricity grid, whilst social care facilities began to be connected as early as 3 October. Under Ukrainian law, the heating season officially begins when the average daily air temperature over a three-day period is 8 degrees or below. This decision, taken against the backdrop of hostilities, underlines the authorities’ commitment to ensuring the comfort and safety of the city’s residents, despite the challenging circumstances.