Sienkevych on his meeting with Zelensky: «It was a pleasure; the President is well aware of the situation»

Meeting of the President with mayors of Ukrainian cities, 13 November 2026. Photo: Telegram channel of Oleksandr Sienkevych

The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, spoke about his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: he reported on the heating season in the city and the budget deficit, which, he said, had been reduced to 750 million hryvnias.

«NikVesti» learnt of this from a post by Oleksandr Sienkevych.

The President’s meeting with the mayors took place on 13 November. According to the mayor, they discussed the heating season, energy security, support for residents and opportunities for local communities. He told the President how Mykolaiv is coping with the heating season, how it is preparing for possible prolonged power cuts and how it is ensuring the operation of critical infrastructure.

«I was pleased that the President is so well informed about the situation in the cities,» wrote Oleksandr Sienkevych.

He added that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is aware of the specific challenges facing local communities, particularly regarding heating, water supply and the operation of resilience centres, which is why the conversation was substantive.

Participants of the meeting of the president with mayors, November 13, 2026. Photo: Telegram channel of Oleksandr Sienkevych

Mykolaiv’s budget deficit has been reduced to ₴750 million

The mayor also raised the issue of the city’s financial situation. The budget deficit, he reported, has already been reduced to ₴750 million. This money is needed for staff salaries, utility bills and to support heating and water supply companies. The mayor emphasised that there is no question of new parks, public gardens or paving.

Oleksandr Sienkevych explained that these funds will determine whether the city can provide its residents with heating and water and maintain critical infrastructure. The mayor described this as a matter of Mykolaiv’s survival.

The Office of the President said that after the meeting the mayors are to prepare additional proposals on the most urgent needs of their communities. Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured them that the state is ready to help communities with the most pressing issues. The statement mentions no sums or decisions on individual cities.

Previously, the city authorities had cited a higher figure. On 2 October, the city council appealed for the third time to the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers, requesting an additional grant of 819.1 million hryvnias by the end of the year. The largest share, 412.7 million hryvnias, was needed for water and heat supply, and another 138.8 million for salaries. On 6 November, Oleksandr Sienkevych stated that no one was responding to the appeal, and that there would be a shortfall in funds for the water utility and part of the salaries as early as November.

Meeting of the President with mayors of Ukrainian cities, November 13, 2026. Photo: Telegram channel of Oleksandr Sienkevych

They agreed to meet more often

The meeting also covered security risks, the military situation, international support for Ukraine and the return of prisoners of war. According to the mayor, the President shared information regarding international aid.

According to the Office of the President, the meeting also covered housing for internally displaced persons and the work of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President. Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to hold similar meetings with the heads of regions.

The participants agreed that such meetings would take place more frequently. Oleksandr Sienkevych considers this important: in his view, the President should receive information about events in local communities directly from the mayors, in addition to the central government’s chain of command.

Meeting of the President with mayors of Ukrainian cities, November 13, 2026. Photo: Telegram channel of Oleksandr Sienkevych

Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced the meeting the day before. He described it as the first of its kind and promised to make such discussions a regular feature. In addition to Oleksandr Sienkevych, the mayors of Kharkiv, Dnipro, Uzhhorod, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Cherkasy and Vinnytsia took part, as well as the acting mayors of Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Lutsk and Rivne.