Chernihiv will receive two million euros from Latvia for the city's reconstruction, the Chernihiv City Council reported on May 24.
According to the Chernihiv City Council, the funds' use has already been determined and will include equipment for educational institutions and restoring Chernihivvodokanal's facilities, responsible for the city's drinking water and sewage disposal.
Oleksandr Lomako, the acting mayor of Chernihiv, went into detail about the destruction of public facilities caused by the Russian full-scale invasion, what has been done to restore them so far, how much money the city itself is able to invest in reconstruction, and what other resources it needs.
"The city does not have the opportunity to restore everything on its own. The state's priorities are now combat operations and the defense of the country, so we are actively cooperating with international donors and organizations to attract their help to restore Chernihiv," Lomako said.
Chernihiv Oblast is located in the north of Ukraine along the Russian border which has made it particularly vulnerable to attacks.
The Latvian delegation, led by Economy Minister Ilze Indriksone, was informed about the city's main reconstruction needs during the meeting. They were also provided with information regarding future reconstruction plans so that Latvia can determine its involvement in the implementation of specific projects.
The Kyiv School of Economics reported in late March that Russia's war against Ukraine had caused over $138 billion in damages across the country, including an estimated $36.2 billion in damages to infrastructure.
Anastasiia Lapatina
(Updated: )
