At the Agency for Restoration, a meeting was held on the topic “Presentation of the Strategic Vision: Priorities, Future Functions and Transformation of the Agency.” The event was attended by the Head of the Agency for Restoration, Serhii Sukhomlyn, his deputies, and members of the Advisory Board — six international experts who help shape the long-term vision for Ukraine’s recovery and cooperate with the Agency within the framework of the EU4Reconstruction project (Component 2).
Six months ago, during a meeting with the Advisory Board, the key areas of the Agency’s work for 2026 were outlined. Today, participants discussed projects that have already been implemented, as well as those currently under active development. As Serhii Sukhomlyn emphasized, despite the ambition to move as quickly as possible toward sustainable recovery, the war continues and challenges evolve every day. Therefore, among the key priorities today is the implementation of community resilience plans, particularly preparations for the heating season under conditions of limited time and constant shelling. At the same time, the strategic objective is to move from crisis response to systematic recovery.
During the session, participants also discussed practical results of the Agency’s work. In particular, the Mykolaiv water pipeline project and the construction of water treatment facilities were highlighted as examples of effective concentration of resources, expertise, and rapid implementation with cost savings. Special attention was also given to ongoing projects, including the protection of critical infrastructure facilities, support for communities in implementing resilience plans, development of distributed generation, and the creation of backup solutions for heat and water supply. The Government assigned the Agency a number of tasks in these areas with clear deadlines — most of the work must be completed before the start of the heating season. At the same time, the restoration of roads and bridges damaged by hostilities is ongoing.
Under martial law and within limited timeframes for project implementation, the Agency is also strengthening its focus on transparency. This includes, in particular, open data on procurement prices for construction materials used in physical protection projects.
The central focus of the session was the Agency’s strategic transformation. The Advisory Board emphasized that this stage is essential for the sustainable functioning of the Agency and expressed readiness to provide advisory expertise in support of this transformation. The key objective of the transformation is to shift the Agency’s role from an implementer of individual projects to a center of expertise that develops high-quality recovery solutions. This involves strengthening institutional capacity, introducing a new organizational structure, and enhancing coordination functions. It is important that the expertise provided by international partners does not disappear after projects are completed, but instead contributes to building the Agency’s own institutional knowledge.
The Head of the Agency thanked the Advisory Board for its support, strategic vision, and professional guidance. It is precisely thanks to the international experience of these experts that a solid foundation for long-term decisions is being established.
Together with the Advisory Board, the Agency for Restoration will continue working on the development of a long-term recovery strategy and the strengthening of institutional capacity. At the same time, it was emphasized that the Agency’s strategic vision must be inseparably linked with Ukraine’s overall course toward European integration. This comprehensive approach will form the foundation for the country’s effective recovery.
The strategic session and cooperation with the Advisory Board are part of the comprehensive institutional support provided by EU4Reconstruction (Component 2) to the Agency, State Enterprise “Project Management Unit for Restoration” and NIDI, aimed at strengthening their capacity to implement transparent, effective, and high-quality recovery projects.
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The Advisory Board of the Agency for Restoration includes:
- Nicolas Osbert — Advisor on Water Strategy, Water Supply Networks, and Water Intake Infrastructure; Head of UNICEF WASH in Ukraine
- Tiit Riisalo — Advisor on Infrastructure Recovery and Infrastructure Development/Financing Models; former Minister of Economic Affairs of Estonia and former Head of the Government Office
- Renaldas Radvila — Advisor on Decentralized Heating and Energy Transition in Communities; President of the Lithuanian National Electric Power Association (NLEA) and CEO of AR “Energy Distribution Operator”
- Yirzhi Kopetskyi— Advisor on Digital Transport and Intelligent Transport Systems; Advisor to the Czech-Ukrainian Cooperation and Development Council and Advisor to the Austrian Ministry of Finance
- Clare Lockhart — Advisor on Public Investment and Infrastructure Development; Founder and Director of the Institute for State Effectiveness (ISE)
- Alex Park — Advisor on Strategic Architecture and Recovery Coordination Mechanisms; Moderator and Facilitator for Consensus Building at the Institute for State Effectiveness (ISE); former Deputy Director of Crown Agents.