Ukrainians rally to demand resignation of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko

Описание: (17 Oct 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv, Ukraine - 17 October 2026
1. Various of protesters chanting slogans
2. Wide of speaker
3. Pan of protesters chanting slogans
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sofiia Kykhtan, protester:
"Most of the time we don't have electricity. It was this big problem in the previous winter, so I'm really confused why our mayor is not doing anything.”
5. Pan of crowd
6. Various of protesters holding banners
7. Wide of speaker
8. Wide of protesters
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sofiia Kykhtan, protester:
"I am a student and I don't attend university because we don't have enough shelters. We don't have shelters, not enough, just shelters.”
10. Various of protesters chanting
11. Pan of crowd
12. Wide of demonstrators
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Kateryna Shurko, protester:
"Kyiv is under attack almost every single day. And things which should have been done years ago, in order to protect the citizens, still have not been done to this day. And all we hear are excuses and I do not think that this is fair for the people who are living here.”
14. Wide of crowd
15. Wide of protesters holding banners
16. Close of protesters chanting
17. Mid of protesters clapping, holding banners
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Kateryna Shurko, protester:
"I think that there is a lot of accountability which should fall on our mayor first. And if he cannot fulfil his duties then someone else needs to step up.”
19. Wide of protesters holding a banner in front of the city administration building
20. Various of protesters chanting slogans
STORYLINE:
Hundreds of Ukrainians rallied on Saturday to demand Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko’s resignation amid frustration over the city’s preparations for winter, power outages and a shortage of shelters.

The protest came amid a row between Klitschko and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who accused Kyiv’s city government of missing "almost all” deadlines set in earlier plans to reinforce infrastructure.

Kyiv resident Sofiia Kykhtan said the city’s power outages were a persistent problem and questioned the mayor’s response.

“Most of the time we don't have electricity. It was this big problem in the previous winter, so I'm really confused why our mayor is not doing anything,” Kykhtan said.

Kykhtan, a student, said she does not attend university because of a shortage of shelters.

“I am a student and I don't attend university because we don't have enough shelters. We don't have shelters, not enough, just shelters,” she said.

Russian strikes have repeatedly damaged Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, raising concerns about the impact of further attacks as winter approaches.

“Kyiv is under attack almost every single day. And things which should have been done years ago, in order to protect the citizens, still have not been done to this day. And all we hear are excuses and I do not think that this is fair for the people who are living here,” said Kateryna Shurko, another protester.

Shurko said the mayor should be held accountable for the city’s preparedness.

“I think that there is a lot of accountabilities which should fall on our mayor first. And if he cannot fulfil his duties then someone else needs to step up,” she said.

Klitschko, who has served as Kyiv’s mayor since 2014, has rejected accusations that the city is failing to prepare for winter, describing them as politically motivated. He has said the city is stockpiling fuel, food and drinking water and preparing backup heating systems.


AP video by Bela Szandelszky

===========================================================


Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...