The Russian invasion of Ukraine in the first month caused damage to the country’s infrastructure, assessed at over $ 63 billion. The construction, hydraulic engineering, melioration and water supply experts from the Gdańsk University of Technology (PG) are planning to develop a system of aid activities that would help in the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities after the war.

Prof. Krzysztof Wilde, the university rector, emphasized that Ukrainian cities and their inhabitants have been in the war zone for almost a month as a result of the unfair and cruel aggression of the Russian troops. Many cities and their infrastructure are currently being destroyed by the Russian army. Cities will need to be rebuilt and Gdansk university wants to help. “Together with specialists from Gdańsk Waters, the Pomeranian District Chamber of Civil Engineers (POIIB) and other representatives of the industry, we want to propose solutions that will quickly and effectively improve the everyday life of Ukrainian residents after the end of the war”, said Wilde.

Citing the estimates of researchers from the Kyiv School of Economics, BBC informed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the first month caused damage of over $ 63 billion to the country’s infrastructure. According to calculations, from February 24 to March 24 at least 4,431 residential buildings, 92 factories and 378 schools, as well as 12 airports and 7 power plants were destroyed, damaged or occupied.

Ryszard Gajewski, the president of the municipal company Gdańskie Wody, launched the initiative to combine the capabilities and competencies of specialists. The developed system will allow sharing knowledge, skills, experience and broadly understood know-how with the authorities of Ukrainian cities.

“In recent years, many Ukrainians have lived with us in Poland. They helped build our country and prosperity with their work. After the war, the infrastructure in Ukrainian cities will require quick reconstruction, and we know a lot about issues of water supply, sewage disposal and flood protection. Ukraine will also have to rebuild bridges, roads and buildings, and specialists from PG and POIIB can help in both challenges”, said Gajewski.

During the meeting, the president of the Ukrainian Association of Water and Sewage Management, Yuri Zherlicyn, representing the Ukrainian side, emphasized that the initiative of the Gdańsk experts had a chance to be one of the first measures to really help the government in Kyiv after the possible withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński order