Support for people, development of frontline regions, infrastructure restoration: Oleksii Kuleba on key results of the new Government’s first 100 days

The Ukrainian Government is reviewing the outcomes of its first 100 days in office. The team at the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development has implemented a range of key measures aimed at supporting frontline regions, boosting economic development, modernising infrastructure, and restoring housing.

Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba outlined the key achievements during this period.

“Over these 100 days, our team has launched tools to support people in frontline areas, enhanced the economic activity of communities, and continued to scale up the restoration of housing, infrastructure, and social services. The Government is working to ensure every community feels secure and has opportunities for development, even amidst the war.

It is critical that we are continuously preparing for a stable winter, despite the enemy’s attempts to disrupt the heating season. We are creating reserves, modernising equipment, and coordinating with all responsible ministries, services, local authorities, and regions.

Protecting critical infrastructure remains a constant priority. We are strengthening the defence of energy facilities, transport hubs, and water and heating systems. We are tackling these challenges together with communities,” Oleksii Kuleba emphasised.

Launch of the Frontline Regions Support Programme

People living in areas close to combat zones remain a focus of state policy. To this end, a dedicated programme has been launched to support residents, local businesses, and social services.

The programme covers 238 communities, home to 6.6 million people, of whom 3.7 million belong to the most vulnerable groups.

• Within the programme, the eOselia initiative has been expanded for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The mechanism provides reimbursement of 70% of the initial mortgage deposit (for a deposit not exceeding 30% of the housing cost), 70% compensation for monthly mortgage payments during the first year (up to a maximum of UAH 150,000 annually), and UAH 40,000 to cover related mortgage costs, such as fees and insurance payments.

Nearly 500 families have already applied for mortgages.

• From 1 October, residents of frontline areas have been receiving additional funds to cover electricity costs. These funds are automatically credited alongside subsidies and benefits, calculated at a rate of 100 kWh per person (up to a maximum of 300 kWh per household).

Households have also received UAH 19,400 in assistance to purchase solid fuel for the winter.

• Approximately 700,000 pupils in frontline regions receive free school meals, while 25,000 teachers have received a UAH 4,000 supplement.

Additional funding of UAH 330 million has been allocated to universities in Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.

Twenty universities affected by russian aggression have received UAH 264.6 million for restoration, enabling the resumption of education for 142,000 students and nearly 29,000 staff members.

The Government has increased support for medical facilities operating in hazardous conditions. Frontline hospitals will receive higher payments per employee, with a firm commitment to ensuring these additional funds directly contribute to increasing medics’ salaries.

The programme also supports local businesses. Critical enterprises located and operating in frontline areas can reserve 100% of their conscription-eligible employees, enabling businesses to continue operating in the most challenging conditions.

Farmers will receive a budget subsidy of UAH 1,000 per hectare of cultivated land. Grant programmes have also been launched for the establishment and development of horticulture, berry farming, viticulture, and greenhouse farming, offering up to UAH 400,000 per hectare, regardless of crop type.

Recently, a mechanism was introduced to compensate businesses in frontline communities for military risks, with enterprises in high-risk areas eligible for up to UAH 10 million in compensation for damaged or destroyed property due to attacks.

Completion of the Mykolaiv Water Supply System

For the first time since 2022, Mykolaiv has regained centralised access to fresh water.

Three years ago, russian forces destroyed a key water pipeline in the Mykolaiv region, leaving over half a million residents without reliable water supply. In less than a year, a new pipeline – a highly complex infrastructure project – was constructed. Fresh water is now reaching consumers.

Thanks to the expertise of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, the project cost was reduced from UAH 8.7 billion to UAH 6.3 billion, allowing the saved funds to be redirected to water pipeline projects in other regions.

Construction of the First European-Gauge Railway and New Routes to European Countries

For the first time in Ukraine’s modern history, a 22 km European-standard 1435 mm railway was built from scratch between Chop and Uzhhorod. Uzhhorod became the first regional centre with direct rail connections to European Union countries. Since September, trains have been operating to Bratislava, Košice, Budapest, and Vienna.

A new Kyiv–Bucharest route has also been launched, with daily trains running via Vinnytsia, Zhmerynka, and Mohyliv-Podilskyi. Border controls are conducted in Vălcineț and Ungheni, with the train arriving at Bucharest’s main station, Gara de Nord.

Despite russian shelling and targeted attacks, Ukrzaliznytsia transported 8 million passengers over the 100 days, including evacuating 4,500 people from frontline communities.

Over 4,000 trips were made to hazardous regions.

Launch of the First Public-Private Partnership Project in Chornomorsk Port

This is the largest investment project in Ukraine’s port sector in the country’s independent history, involving the First and Container Terminals of Chornomorsk Port.

The project is expected to generate over USD 1.1 billion in budget revenues over 40 years and create more than 1,000 jobs with guarantees for workers.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in investments will be directed towards modernising docks and equipment.

For the Chornomorsk community, the project ensures stability and new opportunities. For the state, it restores container shipments. Within three years, cargo handling could reach 250,000 TEU annually, with potential to return to pre-war levels of over 500,000 TEU. The port will operate at the level of leading European hubs.

A competitive commission is already operational, and documentation is being prepared with the involvement of the IFC, EBRD, and leading consultants. The tender will be announced in early November.

Extension of the “Transport Visa-Free” Regime with the EU Until March 2027

This is one of the most significant developments for freight transport and Ukraine’s export sector by road.

It allows Ukrainian and European carriers to continue operating without special permits for bilateral and transit journeys. This ensures stable exports, generating billions of hryvnias for the budget, and guarantees the uninterrupted import of critical goods.

Since the introduction of the “transport visa-free” regime, road exports and imports have grown by tens of per cent, directly contributing to new economic opportunities and greater business freedom with EU countries. The share of trade between Ukraine and the EU via road transport has increased by nearly 55%.

Scaling Up the eVidnovlennia Programme

Over the 100 days, more than 15,000 families received compensation and certificates for damaged or destroyed housing. Since the programme’s inception, over 143,000 families have received compensation for repairs or purchasing new homes, totalling nearly UAH 50 billion.

• The eVidnovlennia programme has been launched for IDPs from temporarily occupied territories. In the first phase, support will be provided to families with combat veterans or individuals disabled due to the war, offering housing vouchers worth UAH 2 million.

This marks the programme’s start, with ongoing work with international partners to secure additional resources to ensure all families from occupied territories receive compensation.

Applications will be accepted from 1 December.

• Remote inspections in areas of active or potential combat have been improved. Commissions can now use satellite imagery provided by the State Space Agency of Ukraine to confirm building destruction.

Technical requirements for photo and video evidence of damage caused by russian aggression have also been simplified.

These updates expand the tools available to specialists, enabling damage assessments even when access to affected housing is unsafe or entirely blocked.

Advancing Restoration Projects

• A competition for funding restoration projects in communities through the State Fund for Regional Development has been completed, with 48 projects selected for UAH 1 billion. Most projects focus on building shelters, reconstructing healthcare facilities, schools, and kindergartens.

The majority of projects are in Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, and Lviv regions.

• Under the Energy Efficiency Fund’s “VidnovyDIM” programme, 191 damaged multi-apartment buildings have been restored, enabling approximately 18,000 families to return to their homes.

A new “green” restoration initiative has been launched for 107 multi-apartment buildings under the same programme.

A programme for free solar panels for schools, valued at EUR 16.5 million, has also been initiated.

• A competition for communities under the “Restoration Programme III” has been launched.

Communities can receive funding for development projects, prioritising the construction of shelters, housing for IDPs, heating, water supply, sewage systems, distributed generation networks, healthcare and educational facilities, barrier-free routes, food factories, and safety centres.

The budget, provided by the European Investment Bank, totals EUR 100 million.

• Comprehensive community restoration is ongoing, adopting a nationwide approach to rebuild not just individual facilities but entire environments where people can live, work, and thrive comfortably.

One example is the town of Borodianka, where 825 residential buildings were damaged. Over 600 facilities have already been restored, and residents are returning to their homes.

In Borodianka, solar panels are being installed on restored multi-storey buildings to provide partial energy autonomy, a Movement Without Barriers project is being implemented, electronic ticketing is being introduced, and 5G coverage is being tested.

Memorialisation is also part of the restoration process, with spaces being created in the town to preserve the memory of the events of 2022 and those who perished during the occupation.

In October, construction began on two new multi-storey buildings to replace those destroyed by the enemy. These are being built to modern standards: energy-efficient, with shelters and barrier-free solutions.

Additionally, 10 kilometres of water supply and sewage networks will be replaced, equipped with new meters for online consumption tracking.

Comprehensive restoration is also ongoing in Posad-Pokrovske in Kherson region and Yahidne in Chernihiv region.