UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Oct 24  —  Yesterday, on October 23, Kharkiv signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which provides €25 million in loans and €10 million in non-refundable grant funds to support the city’s budget liquidity. The money will be used to strengthen energy security, announced Mayor Ihor Terekhov on Ukrainian TV.

In the spring of 2024, the Russian army attacked Ukrainian energy facilities with missiles and drone strikes. On May 8, the Prime Minister reported that they had destroyed or damaged 800 heating facilities in the country.

In particular, the March attacks destroyed the power and heating infrastructure supplying Kharkiv and its region. Currently, local power plants are unable to generate enough electricity to cover all consumer needs, so Kharkiv supplies it from other regions.

“We have gotten a loan of €25 million at a very low interest rate. In addition, the United States of America has provided us with a €10 million grant, guaranteed by Spain. We will use these funds to support our utility companies, and the freed-up funds will be used to strengthen the city’s energy security,” said Ihor Terekhov.

The funds will help construct a decentralized heat, water, and power supply system.

On October 18, the European Union’s Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Maternova said to Dumka, Ukrainian media from Kharkiv, that the cities of Kharkiv, Odesa, and Kyiv are among the most vulnerable this winter.

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  • On October 22, the European Union approved a loan of up to €35 billion to Ukraine secured by frozen Russian assets, reported the press service of the European Parliament.