Zelenskyy explains why Kyiv road-blocking protest ended
The president said Kyiv residents who blocked a road over a prolonged power outage dispersed after seeing electricians working at an energy facility.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on November 5, 2026, that people who blocked a road in Kyiv over a prolonged power outage dispersed after police helped organise electricians’ work at an energy facility. He gave the account in an interview with TSN, excerpts of which were published by Ukrainska Pravda and Ukrinform.
According to the president’s account, the road was blocked the previous day, November 4. He discussed the situation with the prime minister and called the interior minister. Zelenskyy said the energy facility lacked staff and police contacted repair teams and helped bring electricians to the site.
Zelenskyy criticised the slow pace of repairs while also opposing road blockades. However, he said people ended their protest because they could see specialists at the facility working. In his explanation, therefore, it was the visible repair work that brought the protest to an end, rather than the call to the minister in itself.
In the same interview, the president separately criticised Kyivvodokanal’s management, demanding that it work more and faster. He raised the possibility of replacing management if necessary. The road blockade he described, however, concerned a lack of electricity, not water supplies.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian strikes damaged many power supply lines serving the capital, and energy workers are tackling the consequences daily. Separately, Ukrinform, citing Kyivvodokanal, reported water supply disruptions across all Kyiv districts on November 5 because of emergency power outages. The company said its specialists were working with energy workers and water supplies were gradually being restored.
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