KYIV (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday there would be personnel changes following an inquest into the state of Ukraine’s bomb shelters after three people were locked out on the street and killed during an air raid earlier this month.
Zelenskiy said he had chaired a meeting of the National Security and Defence Council and discussed the security of the Ukrainian people, judicial reforms and Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
“In general, today we have reviewed the situation with shelters in the regions, districts, and cities which are terrorized by the enemy most intensely,” Zelenskiy said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app.
“The conclusions are disappointing. Almost all over the country. The situation is especially cynical and shameful in those cities that have significant financial resources, but, unfortunately, have other priorities. Personnel decisions will be made.”
A statement issued after the meeting said measures would be taken to “hold accountable officials responsible for the maintenance of civil defence structures” in areas where they were found to be unsatisfactory.
Local authorities were to make shelters ready and “provide round-the clock-unhindered access to them”.
Several areas, including Kyiv, were cited for a poor performance in maintaining the shelters, but Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschkono was not singled out, and neither were other local leaders.
Media had suggested this week that Klitschko could be dismissed as head of the Kyiv military administration – though not as mayor, an elected position. Zelenskiy and Klitschko have been at odds several times before and during the invasion.
Zelenskiy ordered an audit of all air raid shelters after the deaths of the three people, who rushed to a Kyiv air raid shelter that failed to open. Their deaths on June 1 caused public outrage.
Zelenskiy has criticised Kyiv city officials and prosecutors put the head of Kyiv’s municipal department for security under house arrest following an audit of air raid shelters.
After the bomb shelter incident, Klitschko said he bore some responsibility but that others were to blame, especially appointees of the president.
Zelenskiy also said Ukraine’s top security chiefs and top government officials discussed how to advance with judicial and anti-corruption reforms, seen as crucial by Ukraine’s Western partners, international financial institutions and investors.
Zelenskiy said the council wanted to strengthen criminal liability for corruption offences in the judiciary.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Timothy Heritage, Ron Popeski and David Gregorio)
