Ukraine will need €40 billion to rebuild its logistics infrastructure in the first two post-war years — Sukhomlyn

At the same time, the revitalisation of ports and river logistics must be based on sustainability and modernisation

In the first two years following the end of the full-scale war, around €40 billion will be needed to fully restore Ukraine’s logistics infrastructure. This was announced by Serhiy Sukhomlyn, head of the State Agency for Infrastructure Restoration and Development of Ukraine, during URC 2026, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

He said that, given the limited funding available, it is practically impossible to implement projects without attracting private investment and public-private partnerships.

Ukraine, Sukhomlyn noted, has already made the necessary amendments to legislation, enabling infrastructure projects to be implemented under the public-private partnership model. Several such initiatives are currently being developed, and it is planned to move to a tender process for all relevant projects in late 2026 or early 2027.

The Head of the State Agency for Reconstruction emphasised that the first small-scale projects will be located as close as possible to the border with the EU, but they will provide an opportunity to test the model for application across the whole country.

At the same time, it will be possible to join the project involving the reconstruction of the M-15 Odesa–Reni transport corridor once the full-scale invasion has ended.

According to Sukhomlyn, key priorities for Ukraine’s post-war recovery include projects in the fields of road infrastructure, energy and the development of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), as well as the development of the Ukrainian railway system, in particular the transition to European gauge.

However, as Andriy Kashuba, Deputy Minister for Community and Territorial Development, noted during a panel discussion at URC 2026, the restoration of ports and river logistics must be based on sustainability, modernisation and European integration.

Priorities for the development of maritime and river transport in Ukraine are focused on four areas:

• safety of navigation and continuity of logistics;
• the restoration and modernisation of port, river and related infrastructure;
• attracting investment through transparent mechanisms, in particular concessions and public-private partnerships;
• reforms that bring the sector into line with EU standards.

Kashuba highlighted the strategic role of the Danube ports as alternative maritime gateways for the country in the context of Russia’s full-scale aggression.

“Today, the development of the Danube Logistics Corridor is of not only crisis-mitigating but also long-term strategic importance. We see significant potential in the development of port infrastructure and in deepening cooperation with European partners. Shipbuilding and ship repair are key components of this process,” he emphasised.

During the discussion, particular attention was paid to the issues of connecting Ukrainian ports with EU ports and integration into the TEN-T network.

It is worth recalling that Ukraine’s seaports handled over 82.2 million tonnes of cargo last year.