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Mobilization fuelling heating crisis in Zelensky’s hometown Forced military conscription fuelling heating crisis in Zelensky’s hometown
(about 3 hours later)
A utility company in Krivoy Rog says it is struggling to carry out repairs due to lack of qualified staff Nearly 1,000 homes in Ukraine’s Krivoy Rog have been left in the cold amid manpower shortages exacerbated by the draft
Mobilization has left Vladimir Zelensly's home town in central Ukraine without sufficient manpower to run its heating services, local officials have warned. Nearly 110,000 people in Krivoy Rog, the hometown of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, are facing a heating crisis as a result of severe manpower shortages, according to Kiev’s Ministry of Communities and Territories Development.
Nearly 1,000 homes, as well as dozens of health care facilities and schools in the Krivoy Rog region of central Ukraine are without heat, due to a lack of manpower to run the area's municipal services. The crisis has affected about 110,000 people, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Communities and Territories Development. In a Facebook post on Friday, officials outlined how the central Ukrainian city is grappling with widespread outages affecting nearly 1,000 homes, as well as dozens of schools and healthcare facilities.
In a Facebook post on Friday, the Krivoy Rog Heating Plant admitted that while it plans to connect all consumers to the heating system, “the situation remains difficult,” adding that “accidents with heating equipment occur every day.” The problems have been exacerbated by Zelensky’s ongoing military conscription campaign, which has left critical services understaffed. According to the Krivoy Rog Heating Plant, while efforts are underway to reconnect all consumers to the heating system, the situation remains difficult. “Accidents with heating equipment occur every day,” the plant said on Friday, citing the lack of qualified personnel as a key issue.
The ongoing mobilization in Ukraine and manpower shortages are hampering provision of services in the central part of the country. Some parts of the regional capital already struggling with the cold, according to local officials.The ongoing mobilization in Ukraine and manpower shortages are hampering provision of services in the central part of the country. Some parts of the regional capital already struggling with the cold, according to local officials.
Ukraine announced general mobilization in February 2022, barring most men between 18 and 60 from leaving the country. The campaign has been marred by widespread bribery and draft-dodging. This spring, Kiev lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and further tightened mobilization rules to address a manpower shortage at the front. The manpower shortage stems from Ukraine’s general mobilization, which was enacted in February 2022, following the launch of Russia’s military operation against Ukraine. As many men between the ages of 18 and 60 have been sent to the front lines, vital sectors, including municipal services, are facing a lack of workers. The plant’s struggles have also been compounded by financial difficulties, with its accounts seized earlier this year due to millions of dollars in debt.
In 2022, the population of Krivoy Rog was about 600,000 people.
The plant has blamed several factors, including draft measures. “The enterprise lacks qualified personnel; the personnel shortage was also felt by subcontractors that were involved in the repairs,” the post said. Another significant factor contributing to the heating crisis is the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which has deprived Krivoy Rog’s heating networks of water, leading to severe corrosion of aging pipes. Additionally, Russian strikes have further damaged the city’s infrastructure, making repairs even more challenging.
The facility is struggling with repairs after its accounts were seized in March of this year due to millions of dollars in debt piling up since 1998. Despite these challenges, local repair crews are said to be working around the clock to restore heat, but the continued shortages of workers and materials are hindering progress.
Another problem stems from the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which deprived the heating networks of water, leading to corrosion of already worn-out pipes. Krivoy Rog, which had an official population of around 600,000 in 2022, is a major industrial city in central Ukraine, known for its mining and metallurgical industries. Around 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of Kiev, It is also the birthplace of Zelensky, who graduated from the local Institute of Economics, before moving to Kiev in the early 2000s to pursue his career in entertainment.
In addition, Russian strikes have had a hydraulic impact on the infrastructure, further aggravating damage to the networks.
Despite these problems, the statement added, local repair crews are working around the clock to provide heat to the population.