Kiev commission says nearly half of air raid shelters unfit for use

A Ukrainian commission has declared almost half of the air-raid shelters it inspected in the capital Kiev unfit for use.
"The situation remains critical," Ukrainian Strategic Industries Minister Olexander Kamyshin wrote on Telegram on Monday.
According to him, of the roughly 1,850 shelters inspected, about 45% were either not operational or not accessible to inspectors.
Problems with access to air raid shelters are said to exist in several districts of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev's mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram.
Klitschko also pointed out that the administrations of the individual city districts had received around 1.2 billion hryvnia (about $32.5 million) for the construction of emergency shelters over the past two years. According to Klitschko, it is still being investigated how these funds were used.
Last week, a Russian airstrike in Kiev killed a child and two adults and it was discovered that the nearest air raid shelter had been locked.
Ukrainian President Zelensky then instructed the government to improve the situation.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry reported on Monday that of the more than 50,000 shelters inspected nationwide, about 16,000 were either not operational or inaccessible.