Ukrainian Prime Minister Kirill Koretsky has stressed the importance of ensuring access to shelters prior to the issuance of alerts about potential threats. He stated that relevant ministries, services, regional military administrations, including the Kyiv City Military Administration, as well as local government bodies, will be responsible for conducting checks on these shelters.
Koretsky noted, “Access to shelters must be granted even when a threat is known but before an alarm has been declared. In the context of ongoing ballistic threats, regional and city authorities must act promptly based on the real need to protect the public. It is unacceptable that, five years into a full-scale war, access issues to shelters arise in Ukrainian cities.”
He added that individuals should be able to enter shelters without delay, and that the responsibility for ensuring this falls personally on each official.
Context
- During a massive attack by Russia on Kyiv on the night of July 30, reports emerged of closed shelters. Social media users claimed that people were reportedly denied access to certain metro stations, including “Chernihivska,” “Darnytsia,” and “Livoberezhna.”
- However, Kyiv Metro officials denied these claims, stating that all stations were open and functioning as shelters after the air raid alert was issued.
