Monday, January 12, 2026 10:00:47 AM

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko acknowledged that even Ukraine’s capital does not have enough air defense systems to effectively repel Russian airstrikes. He said the shortage directly affects the scale of destruction and the city’s humanitarian situation.

Russia is deliberately continuing strikes on civilian infrastructure, seeking to make Ukrainian cities uninhabitable, Klitschko told the German outlet Bild.

“We see that our air defense does not have the necessary resources to effectively repel attacks even in Kyiv. We urgently need additional air defense systems to protect the population from Russian airstrikes,” the mayor said.

He added that Vladimir Putin’s goal is to completely destroy heating and power infrastructure through bombardment.

“He wants to break the will and resistance of Ukrainians. But we must not give up!” Klitschko stressed.

The mayor noted that energy workers are operating around the clock in difficult conditions, but the situation remains critical. City authorities are urging residents of the capital who lack heating but have the option to stay with relatives or friends to leave the city temporarily.

“Regardless of whether these measures are popular or not, we face very difficult challenges that we must overcome,” Klitschko said.

On January 9, Vitali Klitschko said that water supply in Kyiv is gradually returning, and officials hope to restore heating to some buildings in the near future.

On January 11, the mayor shared details on how recovery work is progressing after strikes by the Russian Armed Forces. He said utility crews are trying to restore heat to homes as quickly as possible and have been forced to thaw equipment that froze due to severe frost.

(C)UAWIRE 2025