Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, outlined the Ministry’s current activities and plans:

“Over the past year, the team of the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development has focused on restoring transport links with the liberated areas – roads, bridges, railways. We created opportunities for people to physically return home.

This year, our task is to launch programmes to restore housing and critical infrastructure – the basic requirements for Ukrainians to return to their home towns and villages. This includes the educational infrastructure.

According to the latest data from the regional military administrations, nearly 1,800 schools have been destroyed. Over the past year, we have managed to restore 410 schools with funding from local budgets and assistance from local budgets.

I will outline the Ministry’s immediate plans for educational infrastructure. Despite the war, our task is to rebuild safe and comfortable educational facilities.

UAH 3.2 billion has already been allocated from the Fund for the Elimination of Consequences for the restoration of educational facilities. These funds will be used to repair 66 schools and 15 kindergartens.

Our international partners have joined us in actively rebuilding schools and kindergartens.

112 educational institutions will be rebuilt under the emergency relief programme and the Ukraine Early Recovery Programme, funded by the European Investment Bank. A total of UAH 7.13 billion will be allocated under the two programmes.

The European Union has allocated EUR 38.3 million in grants from its humanitarian budget. In particular, to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine (UNDP).

These international organisations approached the Ministry with a proposal to become a beneficiary of projects to rebuild Ukrainian schools damaged by hostilities, and identified specific projects with communities.

Together with UNDP, we will rebuild schools in 11 regions. We have identified a provisional list of 120 schools. Repair work has already started in 10 schools.

With the UNOPS project, we will focus on 73 schools in Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions. Repair works are already being completed at 8 facilities.

Switzerland is another reliable international partner in the reconstruction of schools. “DECIDE: VIDBUDOVA. School Recovery Initiative” is a programme to help communities in Chernihiv, Odesa and Poltava regions to build school shelters. The programme will also renovate a school in Chernihiv and a local inclusive resource centre in Borodyanka, Kyiv region. Switzerland is providing EUR 4.5 million for this purpose.”