Pivdennoukrainsk did not sign an agreement with NEFCO at the reconstruction conference in Gdańsk due to the city council’s inaction

The Mykolaiv delegation in Gdańsk at the URC in June. Photo: Mykolaiv Regional Council

Mykolaiv did not sign a grant agreement with NEFCO in Gdańsk, Poland, for Danish funding to reconstruct the drainage system. This is because the city council members have not convened for a session for almost half a year and have not given the necessary approval. In Poland, the deadline for the city council to make a decision has been extended.

This is reported in an article by NikVesti: «Conflicts, cancelled sessions and a grant under threat: how Pivdennoukrainsk found itself on the brink of having a military administration established».

In June, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026, held in Gdańsk (Poland), towns in the Mykolaiv region signed agreements with NEFCO: Mykolaiv, Novyi Buh, Nova Odesa and Voznesensk. But not Pivdennoukrainsk.

The city sent its deputy mayor, Mykola Pokrov, to Poland. He posted on Facebook that talks had been held with NEFCO representatives — Investment Director Bo Esken Nihus, Programme Manager Iryna Fedorenko — and the head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Vitalii Kim. And the deadline for the Pivdennoukrainsk City Council to make a decision has been extended.

«The main topic of the meeting was the signing of the grant agreement. As there had been no city council sessions in Pivdenno-Ukrainska for almost half a year, the community found itself in a difficult situation and was unable to sign the strategic agreement in Gdańsk on time. As a result, there was a real risk of losing funding and NEFCO’s trust. However, following the meeting, we have some encouraging news: the deadline for the city council to make a decision and sign the grant agreement has been officially extended. This decision opens up the opportunity for the Pivdennoukrainsk community to secure the necessary resources for the reconstruction of the town’s drainage system, in particular Pumping Stations 2 and 3 and the pressure sewer from Pumping Station 3 to the Tashlyk Reservoir… The ball is now in the councillors’ court. We must set aside political differences, hold a city council session as soon as possible and pass the decision that the whole community is waiting for,» wrote Mykola Pokrova.

Deputy Mayor of Pivdennoukrainsk Mykola Pokrova (left) in Gdańsk. Photo: Mykola Pokrova’s Facebook page

In response to a question from NikVesti regarding the signing of an agreement with Pivdennoukrainsk, NEFCO stated that they would proceed with signing the agreement once the city council had passed a resolution:

«Pivdennoukrainsk and NEFCO are currently working to finalise all administrative matters relating to this new grant agreement. As soon as the city council approves the new draft, it will be possible to proceed with the contract signing process. In other words, the signing of the contract depends solely on the formal completion of all legal procedures,» stated NEFCO’s communications department in Ukraine.

Grant from NEFCO

It is worth recalling that, against a backdrop of constant postponements of the council session, a draft resolution appeared on the city council’s website regarding the acquisition of a grant from Denmark via NEFCO. As part of the project, the city plans to renovate sewage pumping stations and the pressure domestic sewage system, as well as to purchase solar panels with batteries. Denmark is set to allocate 5.2 million euros.

However, for this to happen, the Pivdennoukrainsk City Council was required to vote at a session to approve the grant. City council sessions have been postponed since February.

City Council Secretary Denys Kravchenko, whilst the mayor, Valerii Onufriienko, was on sick leave, signed an order convening a session via videoconference for 16 June, even though the deadline for approving the NEFCO agreement was 15 June.

A group of 13 councillors appealed to the City Council Secretary to convene an extraordinary session. However, the councillors were unable to hold the session as they were denied access to the council chamber and the voting system.

Subsequently, in response to an information request from NikVesti, the city council stated that NEFCO had accommodated the city’s request and extended the deadline for signing the agreement to 16 June inclusive.

However, on 15 June, the mayor postponed the session until 3 July and decided to hold it in several stages. In a comment to NikVesti on 25 June, Valerii Onufriienko stated that the agreement would definitely be signed.

The city council session is currently scheduled for 3 July.