According to Mykhailo Podolyak, the message about preparations for a possible evacuation of people from Kyiv in the event of a power outage, heat and water "looks more like just a statement to scare people a little, you know."
The Ukrainian authorities are considering all possible scenarios for the development of events against the backdrop of the Russian shelling of critical infrastructure in Ukraine and a possible blackout.
Mykhailo Podolyak, the adviser to the head of the President's Office, said in an interview with Radio Liberty that it is "a little strange" to announce a large-scale evacuation of citizens.
"Of course, it is worth being ready. But if you say you will take three million people from a big city, you probably need to talk about logistical tasks. Where three million people will go, how they will go, there are whether there are already agreements, for example, with the railway, are there cities where we will send and all that," the adviser to the chairman of the Presidential Office explained.
According to Podolyak, reports about preparations for a possible evacuation of residents of the capital in the event of a power outage, heat and water "looks more like just a statement to scare people a little."
"Of course, we are considering any scenarios. The state exists for this, including the most pessimistic scenarios to consider. Right? Including if there is a complete blackout throughout the country. Of course, we are considering it. But first of all, the state is working to ensure that there were compensatory mechanisms to carry out repairs so that heating or water supply could be provided in any case, so that there were alternatives," he said.
According to the adviser to the chairman of the Presidential Office, it is "very, very difficult" to transport three million in winter.
“If we are ready to do this, we will be ready. But we shouldn’t just go out and say: if there is a complete blackout, then we will evacuate everyone,†Podolyak summed up.
