Ukraine’s Reconstruction Will Be Green, Transport Must Play Its Part

Last Updated on: 5th June 2025, 01:17 am

An interview with T&E’s Anastasiia Nahorna, Data Analyst, Mobility and Infrastructure in Ukraine, by Sam Hargreaves, Communications Manager.

Sam: Hi Anastasia, where do you come from and what do you do at T&E?

Anastasiia: Originally I’m from Luhansk in Eastern Ukraine. Now I’m based in Brussels working as an infrastructure analyst for the green reconstruction of Ukraine.

Sam: You were in Kyiv last month, what were you up to?

Anastasiia: It was mostly a work trip, although I did get to see my family, which was nice. They are based in Kyiv, having moved twice already since the war began in 2014. But primarily I was meeting partners and people in the government to make the case for better, targeted action on sustainable mobility.

Sam: What is it like in Kyiv at the moment?

Anastasiia: It’s difficult to know what the day will bring. This is one of the major challenges. Sometimes people are going about their lives, while other times there are missile strikes and drone attacks that are very disruptive

Working requires a lot of resilience. Imagine you haven’t slept thanks to missiles all night and in the morning you have to take your kids to a shelter and then join the morning rush hour for work. Kyiv remains a busy city, so it can be exhausting. And for each city the situation is different. Other cities, especially smaller ones or those close to the frontline, are constantly under attacks with people not being able to breathe peacefully. They also often have much less anti-missile defence that at least the capital benefits from.

Sam: What is the state of transport infrastructure in Ukraine right now?

Anastasiia: During some air raids at the beginning it wasn’t possible to drive using public transport. However, now transport in Kyiv continues more regularly. Although Ukrainians are not happy with the shabby Euro 2 “minibuses” and messy commute schedules. This is why we advocate for better organisation of public transport with more energy efficient transport on the routes.

Trains are a key part of the resistance in Ukraine. They are popular and crucial for getting around, as there is currently very limited air travel. People use them for vacation, business, to see family and to travel internationally. Even before the war, in Ukraine we didn’t have much of a low cost air model, so people often took cheap trains.

But now there is a lack of finance as passenger routes are subsidised by the government. Freight routes which were very profitable have been disrupted. This has led to some routes being canceled and the government raising freight fees to cover expenses. There was also a Russian cyberattack recently which shut down ticket systems, for example.

On the positive side, Ukraine is considering a new railway law to unbundle railway infrastructure, similar to what was introduced in the mid-2010s in the EU. This should improve rail services in the country.

Sam: Is there much green transport infrastructure?

Anastasiia: Aside from trains of course, there are a growing number of EVs in Ukraine – something like 50,000 have been registered so far. Ukraine has a number of tax exemptions for EVs and zero VAT. This will expire in 2026, though, which is disappointing. Right now charging is becoming an issue. Perhaps not in public spaces, but in residential areas. You will sometimes see charging cables coming out residential windows and across the street. Also because of electricity issues people can be hesitant to go for EVs.

Sam: Why is transport reconstruction so important and what are the key priorities?

Anastasiia: Like everywhere else, people are continuing to live and they need to get around. People need public transport if they don’t have a car.

Rebuilding is already happening and things are more dynamic now. There is a push towards Europe and sustainability, and there is a momentum to build back better. If Ukraine wants to align itself with the EU on carbon efforts, this is beneficial for Ukraine. Otherwise we will just be thrown back in time.

Sam: What can the EU do in support?

Anastasiia: I think the most important thing is knowledge sharing. The EU has a lot of experience with similar rebuilding efforts, where in Ukraine a lot of this strategic knowledge is lacking. Policies like the Eurovignette, EU’s flagship charging policy AFIR, or Public Service Obligation on public transport are difficult to implement without the know-how.

Money is obviously helpful, too. It would be beneficial for a certain amount of the EU’s Ukraine Facility to be used to support green transport. Especially now that the new budget is negotiated at the EU level with another Ukraine-Facility-like instrument discussed. This will be positive for energy independence away from fossil fuels as well as for achieving climate goals.

And let’s also not forget that the EU continues to import Russian-borne crude refined by third states. The revenues from it continue sponsoring the Shahed drones and Kalibr missiles crashing into Ukrainian cities. Addressing such loopholes will also help Ukrainians to sleep better at night”

Sam: What is the role of civil society groups, like T&E, in the reconstruction?

Anastasiia: Groups like T&E can help in a number of ways. Firstly, when we talk to the government and explain what is happening in the EU, that helps to provide expertise and to understand what is happening on both sides of the border. Often this kind of dialogue is missing at the governmental level. Secondly, we give knowledge to partners on the ground, the people working locally to improve transport and access to it. Finally, we provide analysis which the government cannot do itself. For example, we have looked at best and worst practices from the EU’s previous mobility plans in Eastern Europe. There are some critical learnings from that which can benefit both Ukraine and the EU.

There is a push and a momentum right now, which we should use. The consultation process with stakeholders isn’t working due to the war, but NGOs can help the government with technical files, like those on public transport.