In Mykolaiv, the clearance of debris following the shelling has been completed, and the city is now able to accept construction waste from neighbouring local authorities

In Mykolaiv, all the construction waste that had accumulated following the shelling has now been processed. Photo: ‘NikVesti’ archive

In Mykolaiv, all the accumulated construction waste resulting from Russian shelling has been processed. The site is now able to accept new volumes, including from neighbouring communities.

This was announced by Ihor Nabatov, First Deputy Director of the Department of Municipal Services at Mykolaiv City Council, during a briefing, according to NikVesti.

According to him, the construction waste recycling site continues to operate. At present, all the waste that had accumulated following the destruction caused by Russian shelling has already been processed.

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Ihor Nabatov did not specify the exact amount of waste processed, explaining that the volume is constantly changing. The city is using the processed material in its restoration work. In particular, it is being used to backfill damaged and excavated areas at the facilities of «Mykolaivoblteploenergo» and «Mykolaivvodokanal».

According to Ihor Nabatov, this allows the municipal utilities to reduce their costs slightly, as they do not need to purchase fill material separately.

«This is very convenient, as it even reduces costs slightly for the regional heating company and the water utility by eliminating the need to purchase such backfill material,» he noted.

At the same time, business representatives from neighbouring communities are already showing interest in the possibility of recycling construction waste.

«As of today, everything that was there (construction waste in the town, — note) has been recycled. It wasn’t even the local authorities but business owners in neighbouring communities who approached «ELU Avtodorig» to enquire about the possibility of recycling damaged structures,» said Ihor Nabatov.

A corresponding tariff has already been approved in Mykolaiv for this work. However, it does not provide for a profit, as this was a requirement from the city’s partners.

«We have adopted a tariff that enables us to carry out this work. It does not provide for a profit, which was a specific requirement from JICA,» explained the first deputy director of the department.

Information regarding the possibility of recycling has now been provided to those who have enquired. The city is awaiting their response.

Recycling of construction waste in Mykolaiv

The construction waste recycling plant in Mykolaiv began operations in the spring of 2025. The project was implemented with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which provided specialised equipment, whilst the site for the plant was developed using the city’s budget.

The equipment has the capacity to process around 12,000 tonnes of such waste per month, and the resulting material is intended to be used for road repairs.

By the end of 2024 alone, around 120,000 tonnes of construction waste had accumulated in Mykolaiv. As of January 2025, the plant had processed 4,500 tonnes of demolition waste into building materials.

In a comment to NikVesti, Deputy Mayor Serhii Korenev stated that the construction waste recycling plant in Mykolaiv is planned to be used to serve the needs of two further regions: Kherson region and part of Kirovohrad region.

At the same time, local authorities wishing to use the services of the construction waste recycling plant following the destruction are being offered two options for cooperation. Under the first option, they can hand over all their waste for recycling at a lower cost; under the second, they can receive the recycled material back, though this option will be more expensive. The city has also revised the tariffs for the processing of demolition waste provided by the municipal enterprise «ELU Avtodorig». The city council explained that this is due to rising costs of fuel and lubricants.

Furthermore, in August 2026, the rules governing the operation of the demolition waste recycling site in Mykolaiv were amended. It is now permitted to accept and recycle other types of construction waste generated within the city at this site.

However, it was noted that the demolition waste processing plant in Mykolaiv lacks the necessary equipment to increase processing rates and meet the needs of the entire region.

Read also the article by NikVesti: «Three months for a five-storey block: how demolished buildings are being cleared in Mykolaiv».

As of February 2026, 4.6 million tonnes of rubble had already accumulated within the city of Mykolaiv.