In his speech on Friday evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi told his compatriots that he ordered to check all bomb shelters in Ukraine after the death of three people in Kyiv, who did not find such a shelter open during the Russian attack that took place. on Thursday

“I had a meeting with the National Security Council. There are urgent security issues. Obviously, there is a strong reaction to the mortality in Kyiv due to the closed shelter. I gave an order to check security facilities in Kyiv and around the country. Ministers Kamyshyn and Klymenko are responsible,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyi, referring to the Minister of Strategic Industry and the Minister of Internal Affairs, News.ro reports.

“Unfortunately, even today, after so much time, the people of Kyiv continue to publish information about the unavailability of shelters. Not only about closed shelters, but also about closed entrances to shelters, about the lack of shelters in some parts of the city. This level of negligence in the city cannot be covered by any excuse,” Zelenskyy said, signaling a deepening rift he has with Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, whom the president has repeatedly criticized for poor governance.

A nine-year-old girl, her mother and another woman were killed Thursday by falling rocket debris after they rushed to a shelter in Kyiv and found it closed. Police arrested four people as part of the investigation into these deaths. Three of them can be charged with official negligence, the message of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Telegram says.

The death caused public outrage and a promise of a tough response from Zelenskyi.

A new controversy between Zelenskyi and Klitschko. Mayor of Kyiv calls for “joint and fair responsibility”

Vitaliy Klitschko, the former boxing champion turned mayor, admitted at a local committee meeting on Friday that he bears some responsibility, but said others, especially allies of the president, were also to blame. He called the costs of shelters in the districts of Kyiv, which are mostly run by members of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, “extremely unsatisfactory,” and noted that the city’s military administration is run by a presidential appointee.

Klitschko called for “shared and fair responsibility” and said he may insist on sacking district managers after reviewing housing costs. “Districts in the capital are not separate principalities where you can walk around in white gloves and neglect your duties,” he said, adding that he would not tolerate “sabotage,” Reuters reports.

In a previous dispute in November, Zelenskyi accused Klitschko of doing a poor job of creating emergency aid stations for people left without electricity and heat.

“The Air Defense Forces of Ukraine must regularly receive everything it needs”

On the other hand, given that in the last month alone, Ukraine and especially Kyiv have suffered 20 Russian attacks, Zelenskyi said that the security meeting he had on Friday also discussed the details of the air defense system. “The air defense of Ukraine must regularly receive everything it needs,” Zelenskyi said, noting that Patriot missiles and other modern munitions are especially needed.

Zelenskyi also told Ukrainians that attention is also focused on the front line, “in all those places where it is most difficult”, but specified that he could not go into details. In view of the expected counteroffensive, Zelensky noted that the preparation of new combat brigades “which are accumulating forces from the north to the south of the country” is also being analyzed, he clarified.

“As always, we are preparing news and solutions that will make Ukraine and Ukrainians even stronger,” Zelenskyy said, again not giving details, but ending his speech, as always, by thanking the soldiers who defend Ukraine.

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