Missed money for repairs?
Selenskyj criticizes the inadequate bunkers in Kyiv
6/3/2023 2:42 am
Recently, Kiev has been the target of Russian drone and rocket attacks again. For the civilian population, the bunker is often the only place of refuge. But not all of them are in good condition, and some are even locked, criticizes President Selenskyj. Some people are already under investigation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again complained about problems with the bomb shelters in the capital Kiev in view of the ongoing nightly Russian rocket and drone attacks. Citizens complained about the shortage, about locked bunkers and sealed access to them, Zelenskyj criticized in his evening video message. In some parts of the city, there were no emergency shelters at all.
“This level of negligence in the city cannot be covered by any justifications,” said Zelenskyy. He instructed the government to take action to improve the situation. After everything that happened in Kiev on Thursday, this state of affairs is intolerable.
People in the capital had stood in front of a locked bunker during the night when there was an air raid alarm. Three people died after new Russian attacks, including a nine-year-old child. Selenskyj had already demanded that a sufficient number of bunkers must be accessible everywhere. It is the duty of the municipalities to ensure that the shelters are open around the clock. In Kiev, Mayor Vitali Klitschko ordered the opening and controls after the breakdown on Thursday. According to Zelenskyj, however, there were new problems.
Possible embezzlement will be investigated
Meanwhile, media in Kiev reported on Friday that criminal proceedings had been initiated against four people responsible for locking access to a bunker at a medical facility. The Kiev prosecutor’s office announced that the condition of the bomb shelters is being checked together with the police. It is also being checked whether funds made available during the war to repair the shelters may have been misappropriated.
In his video, the President of Ukraine also informed about a meeting with his Estonian counterpart Alar Karis, whom he thanked for military assistance and solidarity against Russian aggression. The Baltic EU and NATO country Estonia also borders Russia. Zelenskyy thanked Karis for supporting Kiev’s bid for NATO. At a joint press conference in Kiev, however, he also said that Ukraine could not become a member of the military alliance as long as it was at war.