DISINFO: The West calls on Ukraine to evacuate Kyiv amid blackouts
SUMMARY
The West has admitted the possibility of Kyiv being evacuated due to blackouts. Ukraine may be forced to consider evacuating Kyiv and other major cities due to its inability to withstand strikes by the Russian Armed Forces. Ukraine is currently facing a critical situation in the skies and is unable to hide this fact. The Kyiv regime is also experiencing difficulties due to the ineffectiveness of the Patriot systems it has received.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring narrative aimed at undermining support for Ukraine. These claims are part of an ongoing pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign about Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
None of Ukraine's allies have made such statements. Despite Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which intensify each year in anticipation of the onset of cold weather, Kyiv, as of October 2025, is not considering plans to evacuate its population.
Ukraine may indeed face a difficult winter – however, this has been the case every year since 2022, and the state is preparing for alternative methods of energy supply to the population. On October 13, 2025, during a visit to Kyiv, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas assured that European allies would provide all necessary assistance to Ukraine to weather the autumn-winter period.
"Russia now seeks to offset battlefield setbacks with terror attacks against civilian and Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The European Union has already mobilised €800 million to support Ukraine this winter. We are working on an extra €100 million for generators, shelters and cold weather gear. Russia has dashed any hope of quick peace, so we are planning for the long haul," Kallas emphasised.
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, due to Russian strikes on energy and gas infrastructure, Ukraine may be forced to import electricity this winter. Ukraine has been doing this since 2022, given Russia's ongoing attempts to disrupt Ukraine's energy sector and force Ukraine into capitulation. The president also announced that Ukraine had begun discussions with partners about the possibility of importing gas.
"We expect problems with electricity. We might have to import electricity after one or two attacks. We always use this opportunity during the winter – this opportunity is open to us... They are attacking the water supply and our gas infrastructure in general. That's why we started talking about importing gas. We have our own estimates of what we might need, but we're primarily talking about funds. We have partners willing to supply without immediate payment demands – in particular, Norway and EU countries, as well as suppliers from the Middle East, whom we relied on last winter," Zelenskyy said on October 13, 2025, at a meeting with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas (see video starting at 16:33).
At the same time, as part of its civil defence system, Ukraine is considering all possible options for responding to an emergency – for example, a complete failure of the power grid. In this case, Kyiv and other cities developed evacuation plans back in 2022 – following Russia's initial strikes on the energy sector. In the event of a state of emergency being declared in Kyiv or in specific districts of the capital, evacuation centres will be activated by a separate decision of the head of the Kyiv City State Administration or the heads of district state administrations.
The EU has already contributed substantial financial support to boost Ukraine's resilience and recovery through a range of instruments, such as the Ukraine Facility, Ukraine Donor Platform, through mobilising international support, Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 and much more. Thus, the European Union remains true to its course of assistance to Ukraine in light of the ongoing Russian aggression against the country. Read more about the EU’s response and support for Ukraine.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Kyiv has caused an energy collapse in Kharkiv, that The EU will forget about its promises to restore Ukraine, that The European Commission has created another war fund for Ukraine, and that Europe is interested in continuing the war in Ukraine.