In Ukraine, it's allowed again to disconnect the population from utilities for debts. What does it mean?

Roman Kostyuchenko

The Verkhovna Rada passed a law, and the president signed it, allowing the population to be disconnected from the supply of utilities (natural gas, water, heating, and electricity) due to debts for the period of quarantine and within 30 days from its abolition.

However, there's an exception: consumers who live in the so-called "red" zones of quarantine restrictions cannot be cut off from utility services during restrictions. But in general, it doesn't change the situation: Ukraine returned to disconnecting the population from utilities for debts.

In such cases, they say that the "country has shaken": dozens of media outlets have written about it, and the social media is on fire. Some, as usual, curse the government like blazes, and others wonder what to do if the house has a common gas/water system/heat/energy supply. Will the entire house be disconnected because of a few debtors? What should disadvantaged groups do? Is such an approach to the fight against debtors justified, etc.?

RUBRYKA analyzed and tried to find answers to these questions together with the People's Deputy from the "Batkivshchyna" party, the Minister of Housing and Utility Services in 2007-2010 Oleksii Kucherenko, and the Housing and Utility Services Expert Andrii Nikonchuk.