“Pretty close in January”
Klitschko: Kiev was on the verge of evacuation in the winter
3/13/2023 8:22 am
During the winter, Russia repeatedly launches massive attacks on Ukraine’s energy supply. As a result, there are repeated blackouts in Kiev. According to Mayor Klitschko, the capital was not far from being evacuated.
The mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, says he has considered evacuating the Ukrainian capital because of the massive Russian airstrikes on the infrastructure in winter. “In January we were pretty close to calling on the population to evacuate,” Klitschko told the editorial network Germany (RND).
“The worst blackout lasted 14 hours. There was no electricity, no water, no heating,” said the mayor. Luckily the weather was mild. The infrastructure of the city with its almost three million inhabitants was only saved from collapse by “a lot of strength and energy”, Klitschko told the RND. The employees of the municipal companies would have worked around the clock.
“We fight so that Germans don’t have to fight”
About the German air defense system IRIS-T, Klitschko said: The defense system saved “thousands” of human lives during the air raids on Kiev. “Our military are excited about IRIS-T. Every shot is a hit, no one misses.” Klitschko thanked the Germans, but also criticized the federal government: “Germany is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine in terms of financial aid and arms deliveries,” said Klitschko. “But it’s true, the German government is far too slow in making decisions, and we’re paying the highest price for it: the lives of our soldiers and the lives of our citizens.”
At the same time, Klitschko said he was confident of victory. “We are very, very motivated. We are winning this pointless war. Russia has no chance.” He warned of the consequences of a defeat. “If we lose, Putin would attack Poland.” The aim of Russian President Vladimir Putin is to build up the old Soviet empire. “For many years, that included a part of Germany. That’s why it’s so important to support Ukraine with weapons. We fight so that Germans don’t have to fight.”
Regarding possible negotiations with the Kremlin, he said: “We are ready to find compromises, but only when the last Russian soldier has left Ukraine.” Handing over part of Ukraine to Russia is not a compromise. The Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, also belongs to Ukraine.