On a working visit to the Kherson Oblast on behalf of the President of Ukraine, Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and the Executive Secretary of the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities, spoke about the start of the Side by Side regional reconstruction project on the United News telethon.

The Side by Side project unites people, municipalities and local self-government bodies to restore cities, towns and villages that were destroyed by the Russian occupiers.

According to Oleksii Kuleba, the Kherson oblast will become a pilot region, as one of the most affected in Ukraine.

“Even though Kherson Oblast is under fire, in danger, there is a demand for the return of people. People are returning to their homes. The oblasts in the rear are taking settlements, municipalities [of the Kherson Oblast] that are comparatively safe [under patronage]. The threat is not much greater than on the territory of the rest of Ukraine,” said Oleksii Kuleba.

In order to return Ukrainians to their homes as soon as possible, the priority targets for the current restoration will be housing and critical infrastructure. This applies to the replacement of windows, doors, roofs and roofing, etc. The next stage of Side by Side involves scaling the project to other areas and major reconstruction.

At the beginning of the project, 15 rear oblasts have already taken patronage over 26 settlements of the Kherson region and are contributing equipment, materials, and relevant professionals. The heads of regional military administrations are empowered to attract local private businesses.

In the context of decentralisation and the #WebuildUkraine State Programme, Side by Side is a project that unites regional and local authorities as well as specific municipalities around reconstruction, showcasing humanitarian cooperation at the local level.