New Recovery Diary episode: From sanctions to social housing and demining dogs – how the EU supports Ukraine’s recovery

EU NEIGHBOURS East, in partnership with Ukrainian television channel ICTV, has released the eleventh episode of the ‘Recovery Diary’. 

The episode highlights the recent European Council, held on 19 March, where Hungarian  Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked a support loan of €90 billion for 2026 and 2027. Commenting on this issue, the European Commission President told journalists after the Council: “The loan remains blocked because one leader is not honouring his word. But let me reiterate what I already said in Kyiv: we will deliver one way or the other. So yes we have challenging tasks ahead of us but today we have strengthened our resolve.”

The episode also talks about the latest Council of the European Union decision to extend the personal sanctions against those responsible for undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine for a further six months. These sanctions apply to 2,600 individuals and entities involved in the Russian aggression. On 16 March, nine Russian military commanders implicated in war crimes in the town of Bucha were also added to the list.

The eleventh episode also features the inauguration in Cherkasy, central Ukraine, of  two critical social infrastructure facilities, renovated with support from the European Union and its financial arm, the European Investment Bank (EIB). The projects strengthen emergency healthcare services and provide safe accommodation for people displaced by Russia’s war against Ukraine.

A new social housing facility for internally displaced people offers 47 residential rooms and temporary accommodation for around 130 residents, including older people and persons with disabilities. The housing was created by renovating and converting two previously unused municipal buildings into safe and functional living spaces.

The episode includes a report from Mykolaiv, where work is underway to modernise the city’s wastewater treatment facilities to ensure the frontline city has a high-quality centralised water supply. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately €80 million. Of this amount, more than half will be provided by Denmark in the form of a grant, with the remainder to be financed by the European Investment Bank in the form of a loan.

Another report is from a simulated minefield in the Kyiv region, where, under the guidance of the APOPO mission – a Belgian non-governmental organisation – Ukrainian deminers are being trained alongside specially trained dogs. APOPO specialises in training demining dogs, which are currently clearing mines from liberated territories in southern and eastern Ukraine. The APOPO mission has been operating in Ukraine since 2022. It is funded, among others, by the European Union. Today, around 30 Ukrainian dog handlers and nearly 50 Belgian Shepherds are working at this training centre.

The episode also reports on aid from EU countries, including Germany, Sweden, and Poland.  Sweden has signed and transferred a new contribution of approximately €56.38 million to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, managed by the EU co-chaired Energy Community, raising its total support to almost €260 million. Germany has supplied Ukraine with equipment and specialised vehicles for municipal services to be deployed in the Kherson region. Poland has sent another consignment of power equipment, consisting of 560 generators of various capacities for the Kyiv and Vinnytsia regions.

The European Union remains Ukraine’s strongest partner, playing a critical role in recovery, reconstruction, and the reforms needed for EU accession. Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the EU has mobilised €177.5 billion in humanitarian, financial, economic, and military assistance.

The Recovery Diary is a television series produced by EU NEIGHBOURS East in partnership with ICTV. The series documents real progress across Ukraine, highlighting recovery and reconstruction efforts supported by the EU and its Member States.

Watch the episode
Episode on YouTube