Timur Tkachenko: Azerbaijan provided strong support to Ukraine during energy crisis

Azerbaijan provided significant support to Ukraine during its energy crisis, Timur Tkachenko, Head of Kyiv’s Military Administration and an ethnic Azerbaijani, told the Eastern European bureau of Report.

Tkachenko shared that he was born in Kyiv to an Azerbaijani father, Firudin Mammadov, and a Ukrainian mother, Lyudmila Tkachenko. Over the past three years, during the ongoing full-scale war, he has worked within the city’s administration and in various ministries.

"Until recently, I served as Deputy Minister of Transport Infrastructure and Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine. It’s extremely important that Azerbaijan supports Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. Azerbaijan stands out for its active humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and it was especially helpful to Kyiv during the energy crisis. I deeply appreciate that," Tkachenko said.

He added that he had visited Azerbaijan several times and spoke warmly of his experiences:

"My father was always proud of his Azerbaijani roots and supported fellow Azerbaijanis here in Ukraine. Azerbaijani communities have always been strong and united — helping one another, standing by each other in hard times. Even today, several civic organizations work actively to bring Azerbaijanis together. It’s a wonderful example of how the Azerbaijani social movement continues to grow in Ukraine."

Speaking about the defense of Kyiv, Tkachenko explained that fortifications are being built and preparations are underway for any scenario:

"We have an effective structure called the Kyiv City Defense Council, which I co-chair with the city’s mayor. We meet during critical times to make key decisions. For instance, for three years, transport would halt whenever an air raid siren sounded — but Kyiv residents wanted the ability to reach shelter or get home. We solved that issue. Now, we’re focusing on the metro system. Since some sections are above ground, there’s a risk that debris or damage to the rails could paralyze the entire network. It would be technically difficult to quickly restore operations. We're also working on various other security challenges — including managing curfews, issuing passes, and ensuring the city’s basic operations, like maintaining communications and addressing humanitarian needs. In addition, in the event of missile or drone attacks on Kyiv, we work together with the Emergency Service to eliminate the consequences," Tkachenko concluded.