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Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has urged residents who have the means to do so to consider temporarily leaving the Ukrainian capital, warning that intensifying Russian attacks on critical infrastructure are pushing the city into what he described as a struggle for survival ahead of winter.

In an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP) on October 8, Klitschko said the growing frequency of Russian missile and drone strikes had significantly worsened living conditions in Kyiv, threatening electricity, heating, water supplies and essential transport connections.

"Every day brings new reports of destroyed buildings, of people injured or tragically killed, as the shelling of our city intensifies," the mayor said.

"Today the issue is survival," he added.

Klitschko advised residents who have relatives or friends outside Kyiv to consider staying with them temporarily as municipal authorities prepare for further disruptions to essential services.

However, he stressed that his recommendation did not amount to an official evacuation order and that he would not call for the wholesale abandonment of the capital.

"That's Putin's goal… the best scenario for Putin is that we all leave and hand over our empty cities and our country to him," Klitschko said.

Russian attacks put Kyiv's infrastructure under pressure

The warning follows a marked escalation in Russian long-range attacks on Kyiv, with strikes increasingly targeting infrastructure that allows the city to function.

According to AFP, Russian forces have expanded their operations beyond nighttime bombardments, launching daytime drone attacks against central districts and targeting important bridges spanning the Dnipro River.

The attacks have disrupted movement between the city's eastern and western banks, creating additional difficulties for commuters, public transport and emergency services.

"The connection between the left and right banks is one of the key factors in the city's ability to function," Klitschko told AFP.

Municipal authorities have consequently been developing alternative pontoon crossings to reduce the impact of damaged or temporarily closed bridges.

Electricity infrastructure has also come under renewed attack, triggering emergency power cuts and interruptions to water supplies.

On October 8, Kyiv experienced further disruptions to its electricity network, with emergency outages affecting public transport and temporarily suspending metro services.

The interruptions followed a series of strikes that damaged energy infrastructure and reduced the grid's ability to deliver electricity to consumers.

The deteriorating security situation has also resulted in civilian casualties.

Russian strikes on October 7 damaged residential buildings across several Ukrainian regions. In Kyiv, a drone struck an apartment building in the Darnytskyi district, injuring four people, including two children, according to Ukrainian emergency authorities.

A further wave of attacks on October 8 caused additional casualties and disruptions to water and electricity supplies in parts of the capital.

Fears of another difficult winter

The approaching winter has made the attacks on energy infrastructure particularly concerning for municipal authorities.

During the previous winter, Russian strikes caused prolonged interruptions to heating and electricity in Kyiv as temperatures fell to approximately minus 20 degrees Celsius.

The possibility of similar disruptions has prompted the city administration to prepare emergency reserves and alternative infrastructure.

According to Klitschko, Kyiv is developing backup heating systems and stockpiling fuel, food and drinking water to sustain essential services in the event of further attacks.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged that municipal preparations alone could not guarantee the continued functioning of the city's infrastructure if Russian strikes overwhelmed Ukraine's air defences.

"No matter how well we prepare, if air defence does not work, we could end up in a bad scenario," the mayor warned.

Klitschko also expressed particular concern about the vulnerability of water infrastructure, warning that extensive damage to the system could produce a crisis affecting large sections of the capital.

A changing security situation in the capital

Kyiv has remained under the threat of Russian missile and drone attacks since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, the latest escalation has brought the consequences of the war more directly into the city's daily operations.

A report published by Le Monde on October 5 described growing anxiety among residents as attacks increasingly affected bridges, schools, businesses, transport facilities and other civilian infrastructure.

The newspaper reported that repeated air raid alerts were disrupting ordinary activities, while some residents were considering temporary relocation to rural areas or western Ukraine.

On September 30, air raid warnings reportedly lasted for 21 of the day's 24 hours, illustrating the sustained pressure placed on the capital by successive waves of aerial attacks.

Despite the increasingly difficult conditions, the report found no evidence at that stage of a mass exodus from Kyiv. Many residents continued working and maintaining their daily routines while preparing for possible interruptions to basic services.

The latest Russian attacks have also intensified concerns among Ukrainian officials about the country's ability to protect its energy system throughout the winter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed to Western partners for additional air defence equipment, including capabilities designed to intercept ballistic missiles and other advanced aerial threats.

Speaking on October 8, Zelenskyy warned that Russia could further escalate its missile and drone campaign as winter approaches, stressing the need for continued international military assistance.