Calls to leave cities for winter are only for the wealthy: expert names minimum relocation cost

Calls by Ukrainian authorities to leave cities for the winter are accessible only to well-off citizens.

This opinion was expressed by Oleg Popenko, head of the Union of Utility Service Consumers.

According to him, relocating to the private sector for the winter requires a minimum of 250,000 hryvnias. For people earning 15–20,000 hryvnias a month, such a move is practically out of reach.

Popenko also pointed to a transportation problem: without a car, commuting from a village to work every day, especially in winter, would be extremely difficult.

“If you work as a cashier, a salesperson in a supermarket, or as a teacher at a school, then the private sector is simply not an option for you,” Popenko explained.

In Ukraine, calls to leave cities for the winter are regularly heard, signaling that the authorities will not protect residents from strikes.