Since January 15, after the introduction of a state of emergency in the energy sector in Ukraine, the 112 line (emergency services) has also been accepting reports of lack of heat, water and electricity supply. The Kyiv 112 center received three and a half thousand applications from citizens per day. Suspilne tells how the service currently works and how it ensures efficiency after calls.
Where are the centers located?
As the correspondent of Suspilny reports, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, said at a briefing on January 16 that there are three 112 centers operating in Ukraine: in Kyiv, which is responsible for the center and north of Ukraine, in Lviv (western regions), and in Dnipro, which works for the south and partly the center of Ukraine (Kirovohrad, Cherkasy, Odesa regions). The Ministry of Internal Affairs plans to open a fourth center in Odessa in a month.
“But we can exchange information with other regions without any problems. This is quite a cumbersome job, so we redistributed it – four parts of Ukraine that will always receive calls to 112, and these are millions of calls a year,” says Igor Klymenko.
After the changes ordered by the government, in just one day, the Kyiv 112 center received 3,500 applications from citizens regarding problems with energy and water supply. According to Klymenko, the most frequent complaints were about prolonged power outages. Then there were heating issues, and the fewest were about water shortages.
Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko and Head of the State Emergency Service Andriy Danyk at a briefing in Kyiv, January 16, 2026. Social News/Daria Nematian Zolbin
You can contact the 112 line even in the absence of mobile communication – via Wi-Fi and the 112 Ukraine application, including at “points of invincibility”, shopping centers and medical facilities.
How to ensure a quick response to the applications of Kyiv residents
As Igor Klymenko noted, up to 26 operators work around the clock in the Situation Center and the 112 complex of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“We can increase this number depending on the load. Because in parallel, we also accept applications from the response: police, State Emergency Service, medical service, and gas service,” the minister explains.
He explained the algorithm by which the 112 line works when dealing with energy complaints. The first information the line operator receives goes in several directions:
- to the energy headquarters, where representatives of all ministries and departments and local authorities are present, who immediately give commands for execution based on this information;
- to the Kyiv municipal utility service 15-51, which also forms its own task;
- in the duty units of the State Emergency Service. As of the morning of January 16, 26 of them are working.
The work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is not over yet: the police and utility workers will go around the addresses where Kyiv residents left complaints and check the implementation – whether the condition of the power grids or the temperature in the apartments has improved, etc.
“That is, there is a complaint – and we need to check whether this complaint is satisfied or not. If it is not satisfied, then local authorities and municipal services must explain to the population when, in advance, there will be water, heat, energy, and why there is no water. We need to communicate with people,” the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized.
The work of the emergency line 112 in Kyiv, January 16, 2026. Social News/Daria Nematian Zolbin
General consultations, complaints about the lack of electricity, sign language interpretation: the work of 112 operators in Kyiv
Alena, a sign language operator on the 112 line in Kyiv, told Suspilny that the workload of employees who take phone calls has almost doubled in the last 24 hours.
The change of operators lasts a day – from 8:00 to 8:00 in the morning. The main responsibilities previously consisted of receiving calls to emergency services: police, ambulance, gas service and rescuers. And from January 15, they began to accept calls from people about the lack of electricity, heat, gas, reports of pipe bursts, etc.
Alyona also revealed the details of her work: she takes calls from people with dry mouth disorders. They communicate with them on the 112 line via video calls or text chat.
Alyona, a sign language operator on the 112 line in Kyiv. Social News/Daria Nematian Zolbin
Over the past 24 hours, according to Alena's observations, the most calls are not emergencies, but issues related to electricity and heating supply.
“The audience of deaf people with hearing and speech impairments is smaller than the number of people who apply in Ukraine as a whole, but they apply. It happens that there is no specific application, there is a consultation, we provide some information about our work, responsibilities.”
It was previously reported that due to massive Russian attacks, a state of emergency is currently in effect in the Ukrainian energy sector. In this regard, the Cabinet of Ministers has changed the rules for being outside during curfew. From now on, Ukrainians will be able to visit “points of invincibility” even at night.