• Ukrainian President criticizes the mayor of Kyiv for inadequate emergency shelters.
• Thousands of people have been left without electricity and heat by Russian assaults.
• Volodymyr Zelensky has worked to foster a picture of national unity throughout the war.

In a rare public fight between Ukrainian authorities, President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the mayor of Kyiv on Friday for setting up inadequate emergency shelters for those left without electricity and heat by Russian assaults.

In response to devastating Russian missile strikes against the power-generating system, Ukraine has established thousands of so-called “invincibility centres” where people have access to heat, water, the internet, and mobile phone connections.

In a nighttime address, Zelensky said that Vitali Klitschko and his administration had not done enough to assist.

“Unfortunately, local authorities have not performed well in all cities. In particular, there are a lot of complaints in Kyiv … To put it mildly, more work is needed, ” he stated that the quality of services offered in numerous Kyiv centers was insufficient.

“Please pay attention – the people of Kyiv need more support … a lot of (them) have been without power for 20 or even 30 hours. We expect quality work from the mayor’s office.”

Zelensky also criticized those who, according to him, had falsified their official reports, without providing specifics. So far, almost 4,000 centers have been established.

Zelensky has worked to foster a picture of national unity throughout the war, and he typically lavishes praise on leaders.

In 2014, Klitschko, a 51-year-old former boxer, was elected mayor of Kyiv. There was no prompt response from his office.

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