Ukraine is on the verge of a utility crisis. Several cities have already declared a state of emergency. There's no heating in Cherkasy, Khmelnitsky, Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovograd, and Kherson Oblasts. The situation in Krivoy Rog is critical where more than 2000 apartment buildings, dozens of schools, kindergartens, and hospitals are literally freezing. Desperate residents are taking the streets.
Alexander Balitsky with the details.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Residents of Smila, Cherkasy Oblast, blocked the main street.
"I have a baby but it's cold at home. It's also cold in schools, kindergartens, and hospitals".
One-man protests in front of the local Rada. People demand to restore the heat. Schools and kindergartens are closed. Hospitals only hold emergency operations.
"In order to operate, we need to undress a patient which takes quite some time".
"A warm bottle? Otherwise my hands get cold".
Eugenia Ovcharenko, resident: "We must kick out our authorities. They don't care about us. My husband is recovering from an operation, after he had three strokes. But it's only 55° at home."
Heat and people's patience are both running thin. The situation is critical in Krivoy Rog. It was 17° at night, so people started warming themselves by burning tires in front of the gas company office.
"Give us heat! Give us heat!"
The other day, a gas Maidan almost happened here when a protest turned into a riot. The reason there's no heat is the multi-million debt of the utility service to Naftogaz. Now, ordinary people are paying.
"Last year, I used to pay about 2000 ($70). This year, I have to pay about 4000 ($140). My pension’s not enough".
The tariffs have grown by a quarter since November 1. Now, 1000 cubic meter of gas cost 8500 hryvnas ($300) which is more than 20,000 rubles. In December, they are getting even higher. The mayor of Smila dared to argue with Naftogaz and even got an audience but it was in vain.
"They want us to pay for the debts we've got nothing to do with".
The Ukrainian authorities traditionally shift the responsibility to each other.
Gennady Zubko, Minister of Utilities: "It's not like I have a heat valve in my pocket".
Kiev mayor Klitschko is patting the Minister on his shoulder. He finds it hilarious that his citizens used to freeze not so long ago. He realizes that the heat wasn't restored because the debt magically disappeared it was restored because the Ukrainian elite doesn't want to demonstrate a freezing capital to the world. The provinces can survive without heat just fine. There's no heat in Kherson, Pavlograd, Kotsubinsk, and Shepetovka. Members of the Verkhovna Rada immediately mentioned Poroshenko's resignation.
Oleh Lyashko, leader of Radical Party: "Millions of people can't be hostages of your incompetence, dishonesty, and amorality. People mustn't freeze when there's heat in the offices of the President and Prime Minister".
It's not like the elected officials care about ordinary people. It's more likely they're earning political points. The Presidential elections are held right after the heating season. Still, Poroshenko doesn't really have anything to say to his opponents. The increase of gas prices was a mandatory condition to get a new loan from the IMF.
Alexander Balitsky, Mikhail Fedotov, Anna Kolk, and Denis Matveichikov, Vesti.
