“We need EUR 9.5 billion to rebuild our city, its infrastructure, residential buildings, hospitals, kindergartens, and schools,” news agency Ukrinform quotes Terekhov.
“This is a colossal challenge that no Ukrainian city can tackle on its own.”
The mayor added that currently, 150,000 Kharkiv residents are left homeless, and half of the city's schools and kindergartens, along with 56 hospitals, have been destroyed.
However, Terekhov also pointed out the positive impact of the ongoing decentralization reform, which has provided the city with a greater share of local tax income. He mentioned that last year, with the backing of the government and the Office of the President, Kharkiv was able to rebuild 200 fully destroyed residential buildings using its own funds.
"We are currently constructing 50 additional buildings; however, without the support of our international partners and financial institutions, it will be difficult to continue this work," the mayor concluded.