DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – Kyiv’s infrastructure could collapse at any second as Russia’s sporadic missile attacks together with freezing winter temperatures put local authorities under increasing strain, the Ukrainian capital’s mayor said on Monday.
Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir told Reuters that Ukraine’s Western allies had to hurry up deliveries of air defence systems able to downing Russian missiles.
Kyiv has accused Moscow of indiscriminately targeting civilians in addition to key infrastructure, threatening the winter supply of electricity, running water and central heating.
“We do not talk concerning the collapse, but it could occur … at any second (because) Russian rockets can destroy our critical infrastructure in Kyiv,” Vitali said, adding that there was currently a 30% deficit in energy within the capital.
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“It’s pretty cold in Ukraine straight away so living without electricity and heating is sort of unattainable. The situation is critical. We’re fighting to survive,” he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos.
Former world heavyweight boxing champions Vitali and Wladimir are a part of a broader high-level business and political Ukrainian delegation attending the WEF summit.
“It is vital to not hesitate to provide us weapons that we so need, but to deliver them the earlier the higher otherwise we are going to proceed to lose our infrastructure and most significantly our greatest men,” Wladimir said, adding that they expected an escalation within the north of Ukraine from Belarus.
A part of the main target of Ukraine’s delegation in Davos shall be to put the foundations for future reconstruction and assess the appetite for investment within the country’s recovery.
“Today, we’re talking concerning the war and ending this senseless war, but we’d like to think concerning the day after tomorrow,” Vitali added.
Beata Javorcik, chief economist for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), said a top international priority was to assist Ukraine get through the winter with as much of its economy intact as possible.
“The challenge is that even when military activity is proscribed geographically, destruction of infrastructure makes it difficult for businesses to operate,” she told Reuters.
The EBRD, which last yr invested some 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in energy, transport and other vital infrastructure within the country, estimated Ukraine’s local economy shrunk by nearly a 3rd last yr.
Javorcik said the continuation of the war, with little immediate prospect of peace, meant the event bank would likely revise down its initial forecast of 8% growth for 2023.
(Reporting by John Irish and Mark John; additional reporting Ardee Napolitano)
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