Kim: Mykolaiv is entering a year of survival — cut spending and co-finance government recovery projects

Due to a change in funding rules, the city will have to invest its own funds in state programs; the authorities are building a reserve for heating and repairs and are pushing for a 10% contribution for frontline communities

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02 May 2026

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30 April 2026, during a session of the Mykolaiv city council, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration (OVA), Vitaliy Kim, warned that the current year will be difficult for the city in terms of finances and security, urging deputies and city mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych to concentrate resources on critical infrastructure.

According to Kim, in recent years they have managed to organize work so that residents do not live in constant tension and do not face prolonged power outages, in particular thanks to the regular shooting down by the defense forces of enemy kamikaze drones.

At the same time, the official emphasized that circumstances can change significantly, and priorities should be recovery, protection and support of critical facilities, to which financial resources must be directed.

“This year will be difficult both budget-wise and in terms of conditions. We need to prepare and concentrate all money on our critical infrastructure, on recovery and protection. It will be difficult. I am warning because I feel that this is possible.
There is currently a state resilience plan that requires co-financing for heating and repairs. Attacks on energy facilities are hard to repair, and we will now be appealing to the state. There was a plan for people to feel calm, as if not a frontline city, and we managed that, and I hope we will do something. But this year is hard. We are discussing issues that are not exactly secondary, but not priorities. And we spend a lot of time on them. The situation can change in a week, and all the money will be needed for critical things, for recovery…”, — said Vitaliy Kim.

Separately, the head of the region noted that legislation has changed regarding the co-financing of state projects: if previously some initiatives could be implemented with 100% state funding, now local budgets must contribute to payments. He called to economize as much as possible, review expenditure programs and form a reserve fund for urgent needs.

“Therefore I ask you, Oleksandr Fedorovych, and esteemed deputies to pay attention that this year it is necessary to save as much as possible, to cut programs as much as possible. To have a stock in the reserve fund, to have resource reserves in the reserve fund to address urgent issues. Currently the legislation on co-financing of state projects has changed. We will have to provide, even as a frontline region and city, co-financing for state projects. Previously I could arrange 100% state funding, but now, if we want something to be restored here, we need to provide co-financing. This is very difficult for the local budget. And the issues we are discussing will no longer be relevant. Survival issues and providing co-financing for state projects will be relevant this year.
If deputies need clarifications, I am ready to provide the adopted resolutions. Now we are discussing that co-financing should not be 20–50%, but at least at the level of 10% for frontline cities, especially for Mykolaiv. Work is underway on this, but definitely co-financing of state projects will be required this year, and we need money if we want large recovery projects in our region and city”, — summed up Vitaliy Kim.

Note that on the morning of 2 May 2026 Mykolaiv was again targeted by enemy kamikaze drones; power outages were recorded in the city. Due to the shelling in Mykolaiv, part of the electric transport routes were temporarily suspended.