The former professional boxer said 430 "warming centres" were helping residents cope with the effects of Russian attacks on power stations.
- Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko is at odds with Ukraine's president.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week there were a lot of complaints about measures adopted in the capital.
The mayor of Kyiv, former professional boxer Vitali Klitschko, has traded rhetorical punches with Ukraine's president and his allies over how to help residents withstand power cuts, deriding their disputes as "senseless" amid Russia's military campaign.
The spat comes as Ukrainians are being warned to prepare for further Russian missile attacks targeting the country's strained energy grid as cold weather boosts demand for power.
Mr Klitschko said 430 "warming centres" were helping residents cope with the effects of Russian attacks on power stations and more than 100 more were planned in case of extreme conditions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted last week there were a lot of complaints about measures adopted in the capital.
"I do not want to become involved in political battles, particularly in the current situation," Mr Klitschko said in a video posted on Telegram.
"That is senseless. I have things to do in the city."
Mr Klitschko, who had been mired in several disputes with Mr Zelenskyy before the invasion, said the president's allies had engaged in "manipulation" about the city's efforts, including "incomprehensible photos" posted online.
"To put it mildly, this is not nice. Not for Ukrainians or for our foreign partners," Mr Klitschko said.
"Today, like never before, everyone must unite and work together. And here we have some sort of political games."
But one of the president's top allies landed a new blow, saying Mr Klitschko's explanations "differ considerably" from what residents were reporting. He gave the mayor a week to rectify issues and submit to inspections of the help centres.
A couple embrace in the snow at The Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian people on 27 November in Kyiv, Ukraine. Source: Getty / Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Mr Zelenskyy has in the past week promoted the efforts of thousands of "invincibility centres" set up throughout Ukraine to provide heat, water, internet and mobile phone links.
In his nightly video address on Friday, Mr Zelenskyy said the Kyiv mayor had not done enough to help beleaguered residents.
"To put it mildly, more work is needed," Mr Zelenskyy said.
Mr Zelenskyy, a former comedian, was elected by a landslide in 2019, five years after Mr Klitschko first took office. Before the war, the two leaders had clashed over the way the capital and its services were being run.
Ukrainians warned to brace for more missile attacks
Mr Zelenskyy said Russia will surely launch new missile attacks on his country and has warned defence forces and citizens to be prepared to withstand a new week of strain on the power grid.
Snow fell in Kyiv and temperatures hovered around freezing on Sunday with fog forecast overnight.
City authorities said workers were close to completing restoration of power, water and heat but high consumption levels meant some blackouts had been imposed.
Millions in and around Kyiv were coping with disruptions caused by waves of Russian air strikes.
"We understand that the terrorists are planning new strikes. We know this for a fact," Mr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
"And as long as they have missiles, they, unfortunately, will not calm down."
Mr Zelenskyy said the coming week could be as difficult as the previous week, when attacks on electricity infrastructure subjected Ukrainians to the most acute power cuts since Russian troops invaded in February.
"Our defence forces are getting ready. The entire country is getting ready," he said.
"We have worked out all the scenarios, including with our partners."
There was no immediate response from Moscow to Mr Zelenskyy's claims.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, Moscow has said it does not target the civilian population.
The Kremlin said on Thursday Kyiv could "end the suffering" of its population by meeting Russia's demands.
Russia annexed swaths of Ukraine's east and south in September and President Vladimir Putin said Moscow's territorial demands are non-negotiable.
After the annexation, Mr Zelenskyy said he would not negotiate with Moscow and insisted Ukraine's territorial integrity cannot be negotiated.
Sunday was relatively calm with no devastating attacks on Kyiv or other major cities.
Ukraine's central army command said Russian forces launched four missile attacks and fired multiple times on civilian objects in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The situation, however, remained intense along front lines in various part of Ukraine, Mr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
"The most difficult is in Donetsk region as has been the case in previous weeks," he said.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said Russian troops had shelled a dozen villages in Donetsk, including the main targets of Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
Members of the public lit candles in Independence square on 27 November in Kyiv, Ukraine. Source: Getty / Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Electricity producers still cannot resume full power supply after Russia's missile attacks on Wednesday and must conserve energy by imposing blackouts, it said.
"The consumption restriction regime is still in place due to a capacity deficit, which currently stands at around 20 per cent," Ukrenergo said on Telegram.
Last week, Ukrenergo's chief executive described damage on power-generating facilities as "colossal".
Moscow has targeted vital infrastructure in recent weeks through waves of air strikes that have sparked widespread power outages and killed civilians.
Fresh strikes last Wednesday caused the worst damage so far in the nine-month conflict, leaving millions of people with no light, water or heat, as temperatures fell below zero degrees Celsius.
Mr Zelenskyy said utility and emergency teams were working around the clock to provide power, with the situation "under control" though most regions were subject to scheduled blackouts to help restore the grid.
In Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine abandoned by Russian troops this month, regional governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said 17 per cent of customers now had power, with other districts to be connected in coming days.
Mr Zelenskyy has issued constant warnings to consumers to conserve power, as have utility officials.
