Survival mode: Klitschko advises considering a temporary departure from Kyiv

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has urged residents with relatives or friends outside the capital to consider temporarily relocating. The appeal comes amid intensifying Russian attacks, damage to critical infrastructure, and additional risks ahead of winter.

“Today, this is a matter of survival,” said Vitaliy Klitschko.

At the same time, the mayor stressed that his appeal does not mean a complete evacuation of the city. He called depopulating Ukrainian cities Putin’s goal.

“That is Putin’s goal… The best-case scenario for Putin is for us all to leave and hand him our empty cities and our country,” said Klitschko.

In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its daytime missile and drone attacks on the capital. Critical infrastructure facilities and bridges across the Dnipro have come under attack. Attacks on the city’s energy system have also resumed, causing power outages.

“Every day, there are new reports of destroyed buildings, injured people, or people tragically killed as shelling of our city intensifies,” Klitschko said.

Figures from the Department of Health of the Kyiv City State Administration show that Russian attacks have claimed the lives of at least 534 people in the capital since 2022. Since the beginning of 2026, 189 people have been killed — more than in all of 2025.

On Thursday, October 8, Russian strikes on Kyiv killed three people.

Connectivity between the two banks of the Dnipro remains a separate concern: attacks have repeatedly forced restrictions on bridge traffic.

“The connection between the left and right banks is one of the key factors in the city’s ability to function,” Klitschko noted.

To ease the burden on transport, the city authorities are developing alternative pontoon crossings. The capital’s population, including people who commute there for work, is estimated at around 3.5 million.

Recent attacks have also led to rolling power cuts. At the beginning of the week, some districts of the city were left without water for several hours. After the mayor’s interview, disruptions to the electricity supply temporarily halted the operation of the Kyiv Metro.

Klitschko warned that damage to the water supply system could trigger a large-scale crisis.

As they prepare the capital for possible further winter attacks, the city authorities are working to build up the following reserves:

• setting up backup heating systems;
• building up fuel reserves;
• stockpiling food;
• stockpiling drinking water.

However, the mayor said, even extensive preparations cannot guarantee that the city will function normally if the energy system sustains serious damage.

“No matter how well we prepare, if air defense fails to do its job, we could find ourselves in a worst-case scenario,” Klitschko explained.

The mayor also criticized the central government’s accusations that the capital was insufficiently prepared for winter. He stressed that the city authorities are working under constraints on time, funding, and staffing.

“Looking for scapegoats won’t make people any warmer,” Klitschko said.

An air raid alert also sounded during the mayor’s conversation with journalists.

“When we hear an air raid alert, I pray to God — and to our air defense, because the life of our city depends on it,” Klitschko said.

We previously reported:

• A blackout all winter? Who Koretsky advises not to wait for problems and to find another place to live in advance
• “It’s time for everyone to think about where they’ll be in winter”: Chmut warns Ukrainians of an even harsher cold season
• Heat is overloading the energy system: power outages of up to five hours possible in Ukraine
• The harshest winter: when freezing weather comes, pipes will burst unless the system is drained in time
• Gas war: The Kremlin is targeting storage facilities. How does Ukraine plan to keep warm?