02 June 2023, Friday, 17:39 198

Klitschko To Zelenskyy: District Administrations, Whose Heads Are Appointed By President, Responsible For Arranging Shelters

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that the Kyiv authorities have allocated UAH 1.2 billion for the arranging of shelters in 2022 and 2023, and district state administrations, whose heads are appointed by the President, are responsible for their arranging. Klitschko announced this in the Telegram channel, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

Klitschko announced that on Friday, June 2, he initiated a meeting of the capital's permanent commission on technogenic and ecological safety and emergency situations, at which they discussed the coordination of actions of all services to ensure work and access to shelters in Kyiv.

He noted that in 2022, the city allocated UAH 320 million, this year - already more than UAH 900 million from the city budget to the districts for arranging shelters.

"These funds, I would like to emphasize, were and are being managed by the city's District State Administrations. District heads are responsible. To date, the implementation and use of funds is extremely unsatisfactory. At the end of June, we will sum up the results of the use of funds for the arranging of shelters. And appeals to the President for suspension or dismissal may be on other district heads," he said.

Earlier, Klitschko said that he appealed to the Office of the President and the government, which approves the appointment and dismissal of the heads of the capital's districts, about the suspension of the head of the Desnianskyi district, Dmytro Ratnikov, from the performance of his duties, while the investigation continues into whether the shelter in the polyclinic, near which three people were killed, was open at night.

"I also want to remind you that the heads of the districts of the capital are appointed by the President, at the request of the government. The mayor of the capital not only can’t fire the head of the district, but even reprimand him! And a little information: out of 10 heads of districts, 9 are representatives of the Servant of the People. The head of the Kyiv City Military Administration is appointed by the Office of the President. This is about joint and fair responsibility," he said.

At the same time, Klitschko emphasized that the responsibility for the situation with shelters in the capital is shared by all services and him.

Klitschko noted that the Kyiv authorities have decided on 24-hour access to shelters, the public will be involved in monitoring this, and the Patrol Police will help check the availability of shelters during an air raid during the curfew.

Also, the Kyiv City Council, at the next extraordinary meeting, which will be held on June 8, will appeal to the Verkhovna Rada regarding the establishment of responsibility, including private owners of shelter premises, for not allowing people in and improper operation of shelters.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that those responsible for the closed bomb shelters in Kyiv will definitely be punished, and hinted that Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko may be among those responsible for this.

On the night of Thursday, June 1, the Russian occupiers launched a missile attack on Kyiv, firing 10 Iskander ballistic and cruise missiles. Air defense forces shot down all the missiles, but two women and a 9-year-old child were killed as a result of falling debris. It is previously known that they were killed because they could not get to the bomb shelter in the polyclinic during the declared air raid because the doors were closed.

Law enforcement agencies have started criminal proceedings based on this fact. The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Desnianskyi Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv.

Due to the closed shelter in Kyiv, four people were detained - the first deputy of the Desnianskyi district state administration of Kyiv Iryna Alieksieienko, the director of the polyclinic with a closed shelter, his deputy, as well as a guard.