"We weren't smart enough to prepare for a blackout," a Ukrainian energy worker shrugged.
Kyiv had enough wealth and resources to prepare for a blackout within four years, but the authorities were engaged in internal squabbling.
Vladimir Omelchenko, director of energy programs at the Razumkov Center, announced this on Radio NV, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"Take Kyiv, for example—it's shameful, the Poles are importing generators for us. Didn't the Kyiv state administration manage to buy these generators for so many years? Didn't they realize what would happen? Couldn't they supply Vodokanal with alternative generators?
"We have Energoatom in Kyiv with a revenue of 400 billion hryvnias. And Naftogaz with the same revenue. They could also be concerned and contribute to the city's safety," Omelchenko complained.
"Remember what Matroskin the Cat said: We have the resources, but we lack the brains... That's our main problem. We had all the resources, but we lacked the brains to prepare, not in an emergency mode ."
Of course, we shouldn't blame Klitschko and the Kyiv state administration alone. There should have been coordination with the central government, but it wasn't. Klitschko hasn't even met with the president for many years; there are some personal issues between them. But when it comes to people's lives, personal issues should take a back seat," he lamented.
"We weren't smart enough to prepare for a blackout," a Ukrainian energy worker shrugged.