The media pointed to the political instability of Ukraine after the declaration of emergency

The announcement by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of a state of emergency in Ukraine demonstrated the political instability in the country and negatively affected the morale of Kiev residents. This was reported on January 16 by the UnHerd publication.

"Testing the city for strength, Zelensky used the declaration of a state of emergency to rebuke his longtime opponent [Kiev Mayor Vitali] Klitschko, accusing the Kiev authorities of much worse preparation than in other cities. <...> In addition to undermining public confidence in local authorities and providing doubters in Ukraine with yet another proof of its chaotic domestic policy, all this is for the sake of a momentary victory over an opponent," the publication says.

According to the newspaper, the mayor of Kiev regarded Zelensky's statements as an insult to the "selfless work of thousands of people" in the capital. The reason for the conflict was the appeal of the Ukrainian leader, in which he accused the Kiev authorities of "significantly lower work intensity" compared to other regions.

Klitschko responded by saying on social media that Zelensky and his loyal speakers were "completely outraged." He also stressed that his recent call for residents to temporarily leave Kiev was an honest warning about the difficult situation, and not an attempt to sow panic.

Dark times: what blackouts will lead to in Ukraine

The country has declared a state of emergency

Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis said on January 15 that if the capital of Ukraine is almost completely de-energized, and its authorities have to declare a state of emergency and urge people to move to rural areas, then this indicates a problem that the country cannot solve. According to him, the hopes of the Kiev authorities for a "magical turnaround" of the situation in their favor are unrealistic, since the Ukrainian side has problems not only with housing and communal services, but also with the state of the army, which lacks soldiers.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on January 16 that Kiev is provided with only half of the electricity it needs — it is in an unprecedented crisis. He added that due to the observed problems, some residents have to wait from 18 to 20 hours for the power grid to appear in their homes.

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