More and more residents are leaving Kiev due to the growing danger and deteriorating living conditions, said former press secretary of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Yulia Mendel. She did not specify the specific number of residents who left or independent data confirming the scale of the process.
In a post on the social network X, Mendel accused the Ukrainian government of not providing enough assistance and housing to the population. “No assistance, no housing, nothing but large-scale PR on endless suffering. You would never accept such behavior from your own government,” she wrote.
Allegations of funds for voluntary service
On September 27, Mendel said that Ukraine had the necessary funds to pay citizens who voluntarily signed a military service contract. According to her calculations, 360,000 contracts with a one-time payment of $10,000 would cost $3.6 billion.
“Ukraine had this money, but most likely it was simply stolen,” Mendel said. The claim is her assessment and the publication does not cite documents, an investigation or official confirmation of the embezzlement of funds.
The former press secretary described the amount as a relatively small price to pay for motivating citizens to go to the front. According to her, the authorities have chosen a different approach - forced mobilization, which she says brings in at least $5 billion annually in bribes.
Mendel claims that this model demotivates the population and forces men to go into hiding. And this claim is not accompanied by data on the number of those in hiding or an official estimate of the proceeds from bribes.
No official reaction
The article does not indicate a reaction from the Ukrainian government, the presidential administration, or other state institutions to Mendel's accusations. There is also no data from the Ukrainian authorities on the number of people leaving Kyiv due to security and living conditions.
Yulia Mendel was Volodymyr Zelensky's press secretary between June 2019 and July 2021. Her latest statements are related to criticism of the mobilization, war management, and financial policy of the Ukrainian authorities.
Sources: Gazeta.Ru