Main image: Shopping mall hit in Kyiv. Photo: UNIAN/Vladyslav Musienko
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported Ukraine in clearing 1 million tons of debris, marking a significant step toward safe reconstruction.
According to the fourth “Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment” (RDNA4), conducted by the World Bank Group, the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the UN with support from other partners, direct physical damage to Ukraine’s housing and infrastructure reached around $176 billion by the end of 2024.
Debris from destruction has become one of the most urgent obstacles to reconstruction and the return of residents.
In response, UNDP supported early recovery efforts in 26 communities affected by the war across Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
By early 2026, the cleared and sorted debris weighed the equivalent of three Empire State Buildings. This enabled safe access to over 200 public sites, including streets and informal landfills, and allowed reconstruction work to begin on more than 1,600 heavily damaged facilities, including residential buildings, schools, hospitals, and industrial sites.
Community involvement was a priority: more than 400 local workers were engaged nationwide in clearing and dismantling efforts.
Debris removal followed strict protocols for early identification and handling of hazardous materials, including asbestos-containing materials, and systematic sorting to facilitate recycling. This approach allowed UNDP to provide verified secondary raw materials to local recycling enterprises, while communities could turn debris into resources for reconstruction. These materials are now used across Ukraine for landfill layering, insulation, and road and pedestrian path construction.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction and Minister for Communities and Territories Development, Oleksiy Kuleba, emphasized the strategic importance of supporting communities in managing debris from destruction:
“We are systematically changing our approach to build a modern waste management system in Ukraine—more ecological, efficient, and beneficial for communities. Today, we view debris as a resource. New legislation and European standards now clearly separate hazardous and safe waste and bring order to the system. The updated National Waste Management Plan through 2033 focuses on infrastructure, modern standards, and incentives for recycling. This is not just a formality—it delivers practical results: debris materials can and should be used in reconstruction. Safety is also a top priority. We must know exactly how this waste is collected, transported, stored, and disposed of. Without this, recovery cannot be safe or sustainable,” Kuleba said.
UNDP’s Resident Representative in Ukraine, Auke Lotzma, highlighted the organization’s commitment to supporting communities in recovery through debris management:
“In 2026, UNDP will build on these achievements, working hand-in-hand with the Government of Ukraine to create a cohesive, coordinated, and sustainable national system for managing debris from destruction,” said Lotzma. “We will focus on strengthening the legislative framework for debris management, increasing recycling and reuse, ensuring safe handling and disposal of asbestos-containing materials, and building the capacities of local and regional authorities.”
UNDP’s debris management work in Ukraine began in 2022 as an emergency response in communities of Kyiv region affected by occupation. By 2025, these efforts evolved into a systematic program supporting 26 communities across eight regions, becoming one of the largest such operations in UNDP’s global practice.
The initiative was made possible with support from international partners—the governments of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Sweden, the European Union through the Foreign Policy Instruments Service (FPI), and the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund (UCRF)—in close collaboration with local authorities, regional state administrations, and Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities and Territories Development.
