Ninth Recovery Diary episode: how EU supports Ukraine’s resilience in the fifth year of war

The ninth episode of the ‘Recovery Diary’, released by EU NEIGHBOURS East in partnership with Ukrainian television channel ICTV, is dedicated to the fourth anniversary of the Russian war of aggression, the resilience of Ukraine and EU and Member States’ support to Ukrainians.

The episode highlights the visit to Ukraine of the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, on 12-13 February. The Commissioner visited key energy facilities, heavily impacted by attacks, EU-supported health and social care institutions, and EU-supported Invincibility Points in Kyiv. The ICTV’s film crew spent the whole day with Hadja Lahbib in Ukraine.

The episode also reports on the visit by EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Maternova, and the head of the European Investment Bank’s regional office in Eastern Europe, Kristina Mikulova, to an Invincibility Point in Kyiv to chat with residents and rescuers. Thanks to a donation from the philanthropic division of EIB, 50 resilience centres in the capital were equipped with lighting lamps, thermoses and extension cords with USB ports.

This small amount of aid supplements the more than €4 billion in funding that the EIB has provided to Ukraine since 2022, strengthening the country’s resilience in the face of war. Billions in aid for energy have also come from the European Union and its members. The episode also shows how energy equipment, mainly generators, is being supplied from the European Union and EU countries, including Germany, Slovakia, Estonia, and Latvia.

The episode also focuses on European assistance to Ukrainian civil transport. Lithuania, Sweden, Canada and Ukraine signed an agreement in Stockholm to establish a special fund to rebuild Ukraine’s transport infrastructure damaged by the war. It will provide financial and analytical assistance in areas related to roads, railways, ports, aviation, urban transport and logistics. The first projects will include the installation of automated vehicle weighing systems at Ukrainian border crossings, the reconstruction of electrical substations, and the improvement of the resilience and protection of critically important transport infrastructure. Support will be provided in cooperation with the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and other international financial institutions.

The channel’s film crew also visited veteran-run businesses supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The EBRD has financed more than 90 companies in Ukraine and allocated funds exceeding €6 million in total financing, and more than €1.3 million has already been received by borrowers in the form of grants as investment incentives. The majority of these funds are financed with the support of the European Union.

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.

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Episode on YouTube