Topic: Reconstruction
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Ukraine ministry probes restoration department director over alleged bribe linked to previous job
Investigative actions took place on 23 September at Ukraine's Ministry of Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport over allegations that Viktor Steblinenko, Director of the Restoration Policy Department, received illicit benefit in connection with his previous position. The ministry says the case is unrelated to his current duties and has moved to suspend him and launch an internal audit.
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Russian drones hit Zaporizhzhia, damaging heritage-listed university building, shopping mall, and apartment blocks
Russian drone strikes hit Zaporizhzhia overnight on September 21, 2026, damaging two nine-story residential buildings, the Intrade shopping mall on Soborny Avenue, and three buildings of Zaporizhzhia National University, including a direct hit on its 1902 heritage-listed Building No. 3. Most Ukrainian sources report five civilians wounded, though later updates cite six. The strike was part of a nationwide overnight barrage of 172 strike UAVs and other munitions, with hits recorded at 14 locations across Ukraine.
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EU to launch joint projects with Ukraine using at least €10 billion in remaining SAFE funds
The European Commission announced a new program of joint projects with Ukraine financed by remaining SAFE instrument funds, with a minimum of €10 billion available. Separately, the EU is allocating €3.3 billion to Ukraine for defense needs.
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DFC approves financing for Vodafone Ukraine and DTEK energy storage
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) approved financing for Vodafone Ukraine to strengthen and modernize wartime telecommunications infrastructure, with the operator set to gain access to 5G networks built on what DFC describes as "trusted technology." The same DFC package includes a loan to DTEK for the construction of energy storage systems with a capacity of 200 MW / 400 MWh.
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U.S. DFC approves €85 million loan to DTEK for battery storage expansion in Ukraine
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has approved an €85 million (approximately $97.5 million) loan to Ukrainian energy company DTEK to expand battery energy storage systems in Ukraine. The loan is part of a broader DFC investment package of more than $8 billion covering projects in Ukraine, Jordan, and several African countries, and is the largest DFC financing in Ukraine's energy sector since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
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Netherlands ratifies convention establishing International Compensation Commission for Ukraine
The Netherlands has completed ratification of the Council of Europe convention that creates an International Compensation Commission for damages caused by Russia's war against Ukraine. The Dutch Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe submitted the ratification instrument in Strasbourg on Tuesday, 15 September 2026. With this step, nine countries plus the EU have now completed ratification; 25 are required for the convention to enter into force.
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EU weighs moving frozen Russian assets to new EU-level custodian to sidestep Belgian objections
European circles are exploring transferring frozen Russian assets from Belgium's Euroclear depository to a new EU-controlled custodian, which would shift legal responsibility from Belgium to the EU as a whole and remove Belgium's objections to using the funds for Ukraine. Ukraine's Foreign and Finance ministries have already submitted concrete proposals to Brussels. The European Commission treats the idea as theoretical, with no draft legislation prepared and several technical questions — legal basis, management structure, loss coverage in case of court rulings in Russia's favor — still open.
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Ukraine's Diia portal opens four new claim categories in international Register of Damage
Ukraine's Diia portal launched four new categories of applications to the international Register of Damage for Ukraine (RD4U). The categories cover loss of access to medical care, loss of access to education, other violations of international law, and other economic losses. Applications are submitted through the Diia portal and forwarded automatically to the Register.
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Zelensky offers Zaporizhzhia OVA head Fedorov the post of head of Ukraine's Restoration Agency
President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration (OVA), the position of head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development. Fedorov confirmed receiving the offer during a report marking 1,000 days in office on Thursday, September 3, 2026, and said the role would combine two lines of responsibility, with him remaining co-chair of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Defense Council. No official decision on his dismissal from the OVA or his appointment to the new post has yet been made.