€114m fund to restore Ukraine’s destroyed Kakhovka dam

The blast-damaged Kakhovka Hyrdroelectric Power Station in Ukraine. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine via Reuters

Approximately €114 million has been allocated to crucial reconstruction efforts, with a substantial portion of the funds earmarked for financing works and providing compensation to those affected by the devastating events.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said its project would proceed in two stages, with the second to be concluded before the end of 2025.

In the initial phase, comprehensive engineering designs are to be developed, laying the groundwork for subsequent restoration efforts.

Contingent on the liberation of the occupied territories where the hydroelectric plant is situated, the second phase will involve the execution of construction activities.

Repair or rebuild?

There is still uncertainty about whether or not the power plant can be restored, given the extent of the damage it sustained.

Blasts destroyed 11 of the dam’s 28 spans, causing massive flooding downstream on Kherson City and a number of nearby towns and villages.

At the same time, some 150 tonnes of lubricants leaked from the hydroelectric power plant’s engine room.

According to this week’s announcement, approximately 32% of the allocated funds will be paid out as compensation to individuals who suffered losses due to the dam’s destruction.

Some €32 million will be allocated to the reconstruction of homes – primarily in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions – that were damaged or destroyed by the attack.