Zelensky 'not satisfied' with defense of Kyiv's energy facilities
President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced concerns about the protection of Kyiv's energy infrastructure during a press conference on Oct. 10, saying he was "not satisfied" with the current situation.
Zelensky's comments follow a mass Russian drone and missile attack against the capital the previous night that damaged a thermal power plant (TPP) and left part of the city without power or water.
Speaking to reporters at a briefing in Kyiv after the strike, the president said that air defense units were not the only factor in the defense of critical facilities.
"I am not satisfied, for example, if we take Kyiv," Zelensky said.
"There are TPP-5 and TPP-6. We cannot use Patriot missiles against drones. What questions might I have for the mayor? I could tell you now what I think about all this, but I won't."
Zelensky's remarks allude to his ongoing criticisms of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko's protection of the capital. The Presidential Office has lambasted Klitschko for prolonged blackouts in Kyiv and the poor conditions of local bomb shelters since the early days of Russia's full-scale war.
Zelensky and Klitscho's relationship has been tense since the president's first year in office. There have been multiple investigations aimed at the mayor, along with attempts to remove him from office.
Klitschko, in turn, has accused the Zelensky administration of moving towards authoritarianism.
Russia's overnight attack on Oct. 10 damaged a thermal power plant operated by Ukraine's DTEK energy company. The attack marks the third strike on a DTEK facility in one week, the company said.
DTEK's thermal power plants have been attacked more than 200 times since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022.
Kateryna Hodunova
