Experiment for UAH 2.7 billion: 4 settlements will be restored with these funds
9 August 2024 21:01
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that the government continues to implement a pilot project for the comprehensive restoration of settlements affected by hostilities. As of today, UAH 2.7 billion has been allocated for it, reports "Komersant Ukrainian"
The project envisages the reconstruction of several villages and towns, including Yahidne in Chernihiv region, Posad-Pokrovskyi in Kherson region, Tsyrkuny in Kharkiv region, and Trostianets in Sumy region (previously, two more settlements were on the list).
“Today, the Government has instructed the Ministry of Infrastructure to quickly process and immediately allocate UAH 2.7 billion for the comprehensive reconstruction of these settlements,”
– Shmyhal said.
The funds will be used to restore critical infrastructure, repair and build new residential buildings, kindergartens, outpatient clinics, defence structures and administrative buildings.
In addition, the government has decided to extend the agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB), which will allow the development of a water supply and sewerage system in Mykolaiv.
About the project
The pilot project for the comprehensive restoration of settlements affected by Russia’s armed aggression was initiated by the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development in cooperation with the State Agency for the Restoration and Development of Infrastructure. The project was officially approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 25 April 2023. It will cover the following settlements: Posad-Pokrovske in Kherson region, Yahidne in Chernihiv region, Borodyanka and Moshchun in Kyiv region, Trostianets in Sumy region, and Tsyrkuny in Kharkiv region.
The main idea of the project is a comprehensive restoration, which includes not only the reconstruction of individual destroyed buildings, but also the complete transformation of settlements according to the new layout. The project will take into account modern global architectural trends while preserving the historical heritage. The restoration will be based on the principle of “build back better”, which means creating modern and attractive cities and villages. The aim of the project is to develop a new high-quality scheme for the restoration of Ukrainian settlements that have suffered significant damage.
The project was planned to be implemented in 2023-2025 and is funded by the Armed Aggression Response Fund. The reconstruction process includes several stages: development of design and estimate documentation, construction of new buildings, reconstruction and restoration of damaged buildings. In addition, it is planned to upgrade the infrastructure to ensure that the rebuilt settlements meet the modern needs of residents and facilitate the return of IDPs.
War and reconstruction
As of May 2023, the KSE Institute counted $54 billion in losses to Ukraine’s housing stock. Of this, $46 billion was caused by the destruction of apartment buildings. In total, there are more than 18,000 such buildings. Also, 144,000 private houses were damaged. The total area of damaged or destroyed facilities is 87 million square metres. This is 8.6% of the total housing stock of Ukraine. In total , Russia has caused $153 billion in damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure.
As reported by Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, as of April 2023, 2.5 million Ukrainians had their homes damaged by the Russian invasion. There are 170,000 registered people whose homes have been completely destroyed. 200,000 Ukrainians are currently living in places of compact settlement, and 5,000 of them are living in modular towns.
The state programme of compensation for destroyed housing applies to owners of housing destroyed as a result of hostilities after 24 February 2022. The state compensates these people for the purchase of new or repair of old housing. However, the government has recently set a maximum area of destroyed housing for which compensation will be paid.
