Official beaches in Mykolaiv will not open — response from Senkevych's deputy

In Mykolaiv there are currently no plans to designate safe swimming areas or to officially open city beaches. The city administration explained this by the threat of Russian attacks, the lack of shelters near bodies of water, and the inability to guarantee daily that there are no explosive ordnance in the water areas.

This is stated in the response of the executive committee of the Mykolaiv City Council to an information request from the publication “Novosti-N”. The document was signed by Deputy Mayor Yurii Andrienko. The material was published on 1 July 2026.

The city council recalled that local self-government bodies have the right to designate waterbodies and coastal areas for organized public recreation. However, in Mykolaiv a decision of the executive committee from 2 June 2022 has been in force, which, for the period of martial law, bans the operation of mass recreational sites near water and swimming.

One of the main reasons named by the city administration is the unstable security situation. During May–June 2026, Russian forces used Geran-type loitering munitions and Iskander ballistic missiles over the city territory. After attacks, inspections of impact sites and the disposal of munitions can continue both day and night.

The executive committee also referred to Article 32 of the Civil Protection Code of Ukraine, according to which during an air raid people must stay in the nearest shelters. However, there are no primary mobile shelters at mass recreational sites on the water. Therefore a large concentration of beachgoers during an alarm can create additional danger. Another risk remains the possible presence of explosive ordnance in the water and on coastal areas. The city authorities stated that they cannot guarantee daily the absence of such items in the water areas. Therefore it is currently impossible to designate areas in Mykolaiv that could officially be recognized as safe for swimming.

Despite this, residents continue to relax by the water and swim in unregulated places. At the end of June 2026 a child nearly drowned on the “Chaika” beach in the Korabelnyi district. The girl was rescued by other beachgoers because there were no on-duty lifeguards on the officially closed beach.

The city administration assured that coastal areas continue to be inspected. Warning signs are being installed near bodies of water, and informational work is being carried out among the population to prevent deaths and injuries in the water. At the same time, these measures do not mean the official opening of beaches and do not lift the current ban on swimming.

The situation looks contradictory: officially there are no safe beaches in the city, yet because of the heat people still go to the water en masse. Without equipped zones, lifeguard posts, and controlled areas, responsibility for safety effectively remains with the beachgoers themselves and the parents of children.

Earlier we wrote:

• Police sound the alarm: dozens of children have drowned in bodies of water
• No money for the beach: Senkevych proposed that businesses equip recreation zones in Mykolaiv
• Went into the water and disappeared: another young man died in Mykolaiv
• A child nearly drowned at the “Chaika” beach: in Mykolaiv there is again a debate over who is responsible for safety
• Free trips to an inclusive beach in Odesa will be organized for Mykolaiv residents with disabilities