Zelensky: Kyiv is lagging on winter readiness and resilience plans

A harsh assessment of the capital

In his 13 October address Volodymyr Zelensky separately focused on Kyiv’s winter preparations. In his words, “every Kyiv resident can see that the city is truly unprepared.” Already in October the situation is worse than in previous winters of the war: isolated Shahed strikes cut electricity and water in districts.

The president listed the gaps: shelters, preparing schools, protective structures, public transport, readying buildings. “Kyiv is lagging behind our other regions in implementing resilience plans. We need solutions; we need to speed things up,” he said, Ukrinform reported.

Comparison with Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia

Zelensky met Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov and spoke with Ivan Fedorov, who “has done a great deal for Zaporizhzhia over the years of the war.” He cited them as communities that have achieved more under harder conditions — closer to the front and under denser strikes. He also spoke with Vasyl Maliuk about security challenges and with business figures who are “getting results.”

The message is both political and practical: the country has resources and experience, but the capital as the largest city and administrative centre should set the pace, not fall behind.

Strike backdrop

The assessment came after a series of attacks on Kyiv and the region: ballistic missiles on 12–14 October, drones on housing and warehouses, a strike on CHP-4, and missing early warnings from partners. When power and water fall from a single drone, the issue is not only repairing grids but whether shelters are ready, hospitals and pumping stations have backup power, and residents know where to go within minutes.

Suspilne documented the daytime and evening attacks of 13 October — injured people, fires, mobile aid hubs. For a city of millions, “lagging resilience” means more people without heat and communications in the next waves.

Why it matters

Winter 2026/27 may become another energy war. If Kyiv does not catch up with regions on shelters, infrastructure protection and water logistics, political talk of a truce will protect neither schools nor apartment blocks. The presidential signal is a demand to accelerate decisions now, in October — not in January under fire.