Kyiv residents clash with city guards over heating pipeline and tree removal

In the heavily bombarded Teremky district of Kyiv, a municipal heating pipeline intended to secure winter warmth for over 200 buildings has sparked local opposition due to plans to remove hundreds of trees, some over a century old. After a moratorium was announced on Aug. 12, officials reduced the projected tree loss to roughly ten, but residents remain doubtful and protests continued. On Sept. 22, municipal security guards used force against demonstrators, causing injuries including broken fingers, prompting outrage on social media.

The city administration affirmed its openness to dialogue and pledged a thorough investigation of the guards' conduct. Construction resumed on Sept. 21 despite the controversy, and on Oct. 6 authorities arrested Liubomyr Dmytryshyn, a 24-year-old veteran who had taken part in the protests, after searching his home.