At least several hundred apartment buildings in Kyiv have suffered critical damage to their heating systems after water was not drained from the pipes in time during the freeze.
This was reported by energy expert Oleg Popenko, citing information from residents of the capital.
According to the specialist, the situation is the result of botched preparations by city authorities. Popenko emphasized that officials failed to ensure proper oversight and organizational measures to preserve life-support systems following Russian missile strikes. As a result, pipes and radiators have burst in many homes.
"Restoring these buildings will only be possible after a full overhaul. It will likely only be possible to start this work with the arrival of warmer weather in a few months," the expert noted.
Popenko also shared the story of a Kyiv resident whose building was left without heat. In a stairwell where utility workers failed to drain the water in time, a pipe burst during an attempt to restart the heating. Temperatures in the apartments plummeted to 7.5°C (45.5°F), and attempts to call emergency services on the weekend proved futile. Residents were particularly outraged by the response of a housing maintenance worker regarding the inaction.
"A neighbor met the plumber and asked why the water wasn't drained and the job wasn't done before the pipes were f***ed up. He replied: 'I was on my legal day off,'" the message reads.
