The mayor of Kharkiv refused to advise residents on whether they should leave the city for the winter

The residents of Kharkiv must decide for themselves whether they should leave the city for the winter due to concerns about a lack of essential utilities. The authorities will not offer any advice on this matter.

This statement was made by Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

“I never give such advice. Everyone makes their own personal decision and takes responsibility for it. As city authorities, we will do everything possible and impossible to ensure Kharkiv has heat, water, and electricity,” Terekhov assured.

He also mentioned that currently, 1.2 million people, including internally displaced persons, reside in Kharkiv.

Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that all thermal power plants supplying Kharkiv have been destroyed, and mobile boilers will be brought to the city for the winter. He also predicted that the upcoming winter could be the hardest for Ukraine since the war began.

Meanwhile, the director of the Energy Research Center, Oleksandr Kharchenko, warned that if even one high-voltage substation at a nuclear power plant is knocked out during freezing weather, Ukraine could face a blackout. Even if no new massive strikes occur, he predicted power outages of 8-10 hours a day during winter.