An estimated $60-70 billion will be needed to restore housing and infrastructure in the parts of Kherson Oblast damaged by the Kakhovka dam explosion, Ivan Perehinets, a department head at Ukraine's Academy of Construction, said in an interview on June 19 with Ukrainian Radio.
"The restoration of 60 million square meters that we lost today from the fighting, plus the restoration of houses damaged by flooding, will amount to $60-70 billion," Perehinets said.
Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka dam on June 6, causing a devastating environmental and humanitarian crisis. As of June 17, 28 settlements in Kherson Oblast were still flooded.
Given that the Ukrainian government expects to receive funds from international donors for reconstruction, Perehinets said Ukraine should have enough financial resources to rebuild the area, but that a lack of qualified and experienced engineers remains an issue.
Perehinets estimates that the rebuilding of homes in Kherson Oblast will take five to ten years, and will require a force of 1.5 million construction workers.
Igor Kossov
