Key facts
- Residents of Kyiv's Teremky district are protesting the construction of a heating pipeline that requires cutting down trees.
- The city administration claims the new plan will cut down only about 10 trees, down from an initial estimate of 200.
- Protesters allege municipal guards used excessive force against demonstrators on Sept. 22, 2026.
- A protest leader was arrested on Oct. 6, 2026, with allegations of unjustified force by police.
- Kyivteploenergo, the municipal enterprise implementing the project, is accused of socially irresponsible policy.
- The city administration stated it is open to dialogue and will investigate the actions of municipal guards.
Residents of the Teremky district in Kyiv are engaged in a dispute with the city administration over the construction of a heating pipeline, which they argue necessitates the destruction of valuable green spaces. The project, intended to provide backup heating during the winter amidst ongoing Russian attacks on critical infrastructure, has sparked protests and allegations of mismanagement by the municipal energy enterprise Kyivteploenergo.
Demonstrators, who are not against the pipeline itself but its implementation, claim that alternative routes have been proposed and ignored by authorities. The conflict escalated when municipal security guards allegedly used excessive force against protesters, including rough handling and injuries, as reported on Sept. 22, 2026. Videos of these incidents circulated on social media, leading to public outrage.
The Kyiv City State Administration stated it is open to dialogue and has discussed residents' suggestions, leading to a revised plan that reduced the number of trees to be felled from 200 to approximately 10. However, construction resumed on Sept. 21, 2026, with protesters remaining skeptical. The administration emphasized the urgency of completing the project due to potential heating issues from last winter's attacks.
Further escalation occurred on Oct. 6, 2026, when Liubomyr Dmytryshyn, a protest leader and head of the urbanistic youth organization Semiyarusna Hora, was arrested. His organization alleged unjustified force and seizure of property by law enforcement during a home search. Kyiv police confirmed a criminal investigation into Dmytryshyn for allegedly organizing conflicts with police at a Sept. 27 rally, which resulted in an injury to a policewoman.