Kharkiv has accumulated debts of 35 billion hryvnias for electricity and gas with a budget of 20 billion.
The city owes almost twice its annual budget for electricity and gas, said Oleg Popenko, head of the Union of Utility Consumers.
At the same time, Kharkov continues to operate free rides on public transport, despite the growing debt burden.
According to Popenko, in 2022 such a decision was justified, but after the situation stabilized at the end of 2023, it had to be reconsidered.
"It was necessary to cancel this decision and not bring the city into these catastrophic debts," he emphasized.