President Petro Poroshenko has ordered "seals to be torn off" and gas to be supplied to the town of Smila, Cherkasy Region, which could not turn on central heating over debts.
He demanded that the prosecutor's office and the National Police investigate officials in charge of disrupting the heating season in the town.
"We cannot allow irresponsible officials to harass people at subzero temperatures. I do not care at the moment who is responsible for the emergency in Smila. […] If someone in Smila or in Kyiv cannot take a decision and tear off the seal, I'm taking this decision," he said.
He ordered that required paperwork be drafted within 24 hours.
"If the paperwork is not drafted, or if the town authorities put any obstacles, there is parliament which can schedule a snap election of a city head or city council," he said.
The local heating company owns the national fuel provider Naftohaz Ukrayiny 85m hryvnyas (3m dollars) in gas bills. The local authorities refused to recognize this debt. Naftohaz said that in this case it would not sign a contract on the supply of gas at a preferential price.