URC-2025: Was the largest conference on Ukraine's recovery useful for Mykolaiv region?

The Ukraine 2025 conference in Rome. Photo: NikVesti

In July, Rome hosted the largest conference on Ukraine's recovery, the Ukraine Recovery Conference-2025. It brought together many state and local officials, business representatives, investors, and international donors.

The conference lasted for two days: they discussed regional recovery issues, looked for partners, negotiated cooperation, signed agreements and memoranda. That is, if you represent a business or a community in a particular region, you would definitely find someone to present your idea to, be able to find potential partners or even funds for the project.

Correspondents of NikVesti attended the conference and tell us whether it was useful for Mykolaiv region and what the region will get as a result.

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The focus is on energy. What agreements did Mykolaiv sign?

All regions of Ukraine were represented at the conference in a large common hall on the ground floor, but each had its own section. Everything corresponded to the territorial division on the map: Mykolaiv region was located between Odesa and Kherson regions.

«Such networking is very important for meeting different donors and investors. There was a very large number of panels prepared to make a statement about our city and show that Mykolaiv is a progressive city, despite the fact that we are very close to the war zone. However, we are working on the post-war development of the city and engaging our partners, offering them to start training people, young people, and so on, without large investments,» Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych told NikVesti on the sidelines of the conference.

It was in the «Mykolaiv region» section that local authorities signed agreements related to the life of communities in Mykolaiv region for two days. Mykolaiv signed several grant agreements totalling 17.7 million euros (about 867 million hryvnias). All of them relate to heat supply, energy and infrastructure rehabilitation. These include:

• An agreement with the International Financial Institution Nordic Environment Finance Corporation(NEFCO) for 7.2 million euros. These funds will be used to build three solar power plants with a capacity of 9.9 MW each. The implementation period is until 7 October 2025.
• Another agreement with the International Financial Institution Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) for 7.2 million euros. This time, it is for the modernisation of the district heating system in Mykolaiv. The deadline is 7 October 2025.
• An agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for 3.3 million euros. These funds will be spent on 9 trolleybuses for Mykolaiv. They are to be delivered by 7 September 2025.

An agreement with the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation, an international financial organisation, has been signed. Photo: NikVesti

It is worth noting that the funds for the projects for Mykolaiv implemented by NEFCO and the EBRD are provided by the Danish government.

Later, it became known that Mykolaiv was included in the list of seven Ukrainian cities that will receive a total of $116 million in grant assistance from the World Bank for «energy sustainability». The funds will be spent on the purchase of gas cogeneration units, specialised machinery, specialised equipment and materials required for the heat supply sector. In fact, this is part of the second investment project «Restoration of energy supply in winter and supply of energy resources». These agreements were recorded during the URC 2025 conference, according to the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine.

One of the projects presented by the state at the conference in Rome was the construction of a new water supply system for Mykolaiv. In this way, the authorities wanted to show donors the efficiency of using budget funds and the ability to implement large projects, Serhii Sukhomlyn, head of the State Agency for Reconstruction, told NikVesti.

«We present those recovery projects that are a priority for our country. We show what we have already done. The restoration of the Kyiv region — five settlements, the Mykolaiv water supply system and many others — is already at the end of the process. This also impresses our partners. We need to understand that the funds they provide as aid are spent in the right direction and efficiently.

Building a water supply system is a huge investment. We saved about 2.5 billion hryvnias from the initial cost. But there are many communities in our country that have no water at all. It is not only Dnipro region, but even Odesa region,» said Sukhomlyn.

Mykolaiv has an Italian sister city. What does this mean?

At the conference, Mykolaiv signed a twinning agreement between the city council and the municipality of the Italian city of Bari. This agreement does not provide for the allocation of funds. But it provides for the development of cooperation between the cities in the cultural, social and economic spheres.

«This partnership is not just about documents, but about mutual support, exchange of experience, and projects that will help our communities develop. Mykolaiv was heavily affected by the war. Despite all the challenges, we are working on recovery. It is important for us not just to rebuild the city, but to make it modern, comfortable and safe for people. That is why new international relations are of great importance to us. We see potential in cooperation with Bari in various fields, including education, culture, economic development, and exchange of experience», commented the mayor of Mykolaiv.

The final outcome of the conference for Mykolaiv was the signing of a memorandum with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This memorandum also does not mention specific amounts of money. However, its main idea is to attract international support for the «green» restoration of Mykolaiv. The city council named the following key areas of cooperation:

• Finding the most effective energy solutions for post-war transformation.
• Integration of energy efficiency, energy storage and waste-to-energy technologies.
• Developing a model for attracting private and donor investment.
• Strengthening the city's energy sustainability.
• Cooperation with international experts, investors and financial institutions.

Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Sienkevych at the conference on the restoration of Ukraine-2025, photo: NikVesti

What is promised to the residents of Domanivka as a result of the URC-2025?

Representatives of various communities in the region also came to the conference in Rome. NikVesti met representatives of at least five communities: Ochakiv, Domanivka, Novyi Buh, Kobleve and Voznesensk.

During the conference, Domanivka signed a €1.4 million grant agreement with the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO), an international financial organisation. These funds will be used to restore water supply from the well in Zbroshkove village to Domanivka village, along with the reconstruction of external networks.

Prior to that, Oleksandra Sokhan, deputy head of the Domanivka village council, said that last year the community received pipes from UNICEF and began replacing them in the village. And now, the project is laying a water supply line from the village of Zbroshkove in Bashtanka district.

According to her, the length of the water pipeline to Domanivka will be 7 kilometres, and then there will be branches in the village.

«We have a centralised water supply in Domanivka, but the wells we have do not meet water quality requirements. Over the past two years, the water level in our wells has dropped, and we don't have enough water in the summer. And water from Zbroshkove village will solve the problem of constant water supply for the population», she added.

Kobleve and Novyi Buh signed identical memoranda with the companies «Ukrainian Reconstruction Consortium» and «Megawatt» for water supply, technical re-equipment of boiler houses to improve the heat supply system.

«This memorandum gives us the opportunity to develop and design water supply improvements for our community in the future. So far, there is no money involved, only intentions: getting to know each other and identifying common ground. I think that the first step will be to install a drinking water treatment plant in the community. And then we will implement our plans», explained Maksym Lahodiienko, Mayor of Novyi Buh, in a commentary to NikVesti on the sidelines of the conference.

Mayor of Novyi Buh Maksym Lahodiienko at the conference on the restoration of Ukraine-2025, photo: NikVesti

The mayor said that the water situation in Novyi Buh is currently difficult, with people receiving centralised water supply on an hourly basis.

«Our water utility was a district water utility until 2021. The water supply network was built in the 60s. In fact, they are worn out and need to be replaced — 350 kilometres of network in the city. This is a long distance that needs to be replaced. Today, water is supplied to people on an hourly basis: in the morning, afternoon and evening. This is a problem. Now we are trying to supply water to residents and repair the sections that need critical replacement. This memorandum makes it possible to improve water quality and increase the supply for consumption», said Maksym Lahodiienko.

And Voznesensk signed a memorandum of understanding with the companies «Ukrainian Consortium for Reconstruction» and «Megawatt» to create a high-quality, affordable and modern network of drinking water access points.

Novyi Buh has also signed a memorandum of cooperation with the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations of Italy. This document was signed to attract EU funds and opportunities in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, environment, education, medicine and culture, implementation of joint youth, gender, children's programmes, etc.

The Ukraine 2025 Recovery Conference in Rome. Photo: NikVesti

Summary: what Mykolaiv region signed at the URC-2025

Mykolaiv.

• A €7.2 million grant from NEFCO for the construction of 3 solar power plants (9.9 MW each).
• A €7.2 million grant from NEFCO to modernise the city's district heating system.
• A EUR 3.3 million grant from the EBRD for the purchase of 9 trolleybuses.
• Expected participation in the World Bank programme — part of a $116 million grant for energy sustainability.
• A twinning agreement with the Italian city of Bari (cooperation in culture, education, and economy).
• Memorandum with UNEP on «green recovery»: energy efficiency, recycling, energy sustainability.

Domanivka

• A €1.4 million grant from NEFCO to restore water supply (Zbroshkove village — Domanivka village).

Novyi Buh

• Memorandum with «Ukrainian Consortium for Reconstruction» and «Megawatt» — water supply, boiler houses.
• Memorandum with the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy (infrastructure, environment, education, youth, etc.).

Koblevo

• Identical memorandum with «Ukrainian Consortium for Reconstruction» and «Megawatt» (heat and water supply).

Voznesensk

• Memorandum with «Ukrainian Reconstruction Consortium» and «Megawatt» on the establishment of a network of drinking water access points.

Ukraine Recovery 2025 conference in Rome. Photo: NikVesti

As a result of the conference, the communities of Mykolaiv region received support from international partners, though not always financial. This includes assistance with projects on heat supply, water supply, public transport, and energy. The list is actually quite long, but the effectiveness of the use of donor funds and projects can only be verified over time. The main «indicator of effectiveness» should be those for whom these projects will be implemented — the residents of the communities of Mykolaiv region.

Yuliia Boichenko, NikVesti