Azarov demands check readiness for winter

Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov demands immediately start checking readiness of regions for cold weather and snowfalls. 

The PM said that to date, 100% of social institutions and 99.9% of residential buildings are heated. However, five boilers in Kyiv have not been put into operation yet.

"I pay attention of Vice-Prime Minister Oleksandr Vilkul and minister for regional development, construction, housing and communal services Hennady Temnyk to the fact that the absence of heat, even in a separate apartment, must be seen as an emergency. So, the appropriate works should be done. I also require checking the readiness of regions for sustaining operation of all the objects in cold weather. We have drawn enough lessons and conclusions from past winters," he said at the Cabinet’s meeting, ForUm correspondent reports.

"In order to really test the state of the preparation, I agreed to hold next week joint exercises of the Emergency Service, the Defense Ministry, the Ministry Interior, the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry, the Regional Development Ministry, the Infrastructure Ministry in Kyiv and all regions regarding the work in extreme winter weather conditions. The staff of the agencies should work out the mechanism of interaction. I plan to personally take part in the exercises. According to their results, we will draw conclusions," Azarov summed up.