A local energy company employee inspects new equipment at a boiler house in Nikolaev. The UN helps residents of Nikolaev find hope for a better future Humanitarian aid
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), with funding from the Government of Denmark, is providing critical assistance to the city of Nikolaev, which has been on the front lines since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
More than two years after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the situation for many parts of the country remains extremely dire. Ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure, including health care, education, and energy facilities, have led to regular power outages and water shortages, and are raising the bleak prospect of another harsh winter.
For the city of Mykolaiv, which was besieged in 2022 and left without its main source of fresh water, all of these issues are acute. Reconstruction efforts are hampered by the constant threat of further shelling.
“We live under the threat of air strikes. They have been here before, and we cannot rule out more,” says Mykolaiv Municipal Heating Plant Director Mykolaiv.
To help Mykolaiv maintain critical heat production capacity during the winter months, UNOPS has supplied the city’s heating company with six multi-fuel mobile boiler houses. The equipment can be moved around the city and plugged into the grid where power is lost due to attacks or breakdowns, providing a backup source of heat.
“The war continues, but we know that Ukraine’s recovery cannot wait and must begin as soon as possible,” said Simon Porter, Acting Director of the UNOPS Multi-Country Office in Ukraine. “By addressing the challenges of today, we are helping to lay the foundations for a better future through our partnership with Denmark.”
The Danish government has extended the partnership through mid-2025, providing an additional $4.4 million for equipment and supplies. In total, the Danish government has already provided over $17 million in aid to Mykolaiv and the Mykolaiv region.
“We want people to enjoy a comfortable life here in the future,” says Jacob Thorrild Hansen, Head of the Danish Consulate in Mykolaiv.
As part of its partnership with Denmark, UNOPS has been assisting Mykolaiv and the Mykolaiv region since late 2022. This cooperation includes the supply of generators to power essential municipal facilities, mobile heating units to keep hospitals and schools warm, city buses, municipal vehicles, firefighting equipment and water supply. In addition to purchasing essential equipment and consumables, UNOPS also carries out repairs to residential buildings, public spaces and schools.