The emergency consultations, detailed in his nightly video address, signal a renewed push to restructure regional air defence systems as winter temperatures plunge and Russian strikes intensify.

Zelenskiy said he held extended talks with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, General Staff chief Andrii Hnatov, and Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, focusing on operational weaknesses and coordination failures. "Many changes are happening right now in the work of air defence,” Zelenskiy said on record. "In some regions, the way teams operate, interceptors, mobile fire units — the entire small air defence component — is being practically rebuilt.”

The review follows weeks of large-scale Russian attacks targeting energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of apartments in Kyiv without stable heating. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said via Telegram that crews were working around the clock to restore services, with overnight temperatures forecast to drop to minus 19°C.

Zelenskiy pointed to persistent electricity disruptions in Kharkiv, Poltava and parts of Odesa regions. He also renewed criticism of municipal authorities in the capital, where tensions with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko have surfaced publicly over wartime governance and infrastructure readiness.

Analysts note that Ukraine’s decentralised air defence network — reliant on Western-supplied systems and mobile units — has become increasingly strained by sustained drone and missile barrages. Kyiv continues to press allies for additional interceptors and advanced systems to counter evolving Russian tactics.

"Every community leader and responsible service must pay real attention,” Zelenskiy said, adding that officials would be held personally accountable.