Today, the Kherson region is living in two realities—in some communities, people are hiding from shelling every day and dealing with basic safety concerns, while in others, they are already trying to rebuild roads and public infrastructure, seek investment, and plan for the future. Under these circumstances, coordination among communities, government authorities, civil society organizations, and international partners is particularly important.
In the latest episode of “Conversations about Restoration,” we spoke with Oleh Kulakevych, director of The Development Agency "European Integration Office" of the Kherson region, about how this collaboration is taking shape today, why a unified aid planning system is critical for the region, and what role recovery advisors can play.
The Development Agency "European Integration Office" of the Kherson region was established back in 2019. Its main task is to assist communities with socioeconomic development issues. It became Ukraine’s first pilot project to combine the functions of a traditional Regional Development Agency and a regional Office of European Integration. However, the war has significantly shifted priorities. Prior to the full-scale invasion, the Agency’s work was more focused on territorial development. In 2025, the agency decided to completely revamp its team, and Oleh Kulakevych was appointed its head.
“We can only dream of the region’s socioeconomic development,” says Oleh Kulakevych. Today, about 70% of the region’s territory is under occupation, and most settlements in the government-controlled area are under constant shelling.
Despite this, the Agency’s team continues to work. The main focus is now on communities farther from the front line — Vysokopillia, Velyka Oleksandrivka, Borozenka, Kalynivka, Kochubeivka, and Muzykivka. It is there that life is gradually returning, and it is possible to talk not only about humanitarian aid but also about reconstruction.
“We’re working in coordination with partners operating throughout the region. Before joining the Agency, my team and I coordinated aid. We were, so to speak, working from the outside; our main tasks were humanitarian assistance and coordination with partners across the region. When I was invited to join the regional administration, we conducted a brief inventory of the partners operating throughout the region. At that time, there were 273 partner organizations working in the Kherson region—ranging from large international organizations to small charitable initiatives. Today, about 60 organizations are actively working,” says Oleh Kulakevych.
In the early stages, this created quite a few problems. Various organizations were delivering aid to the same communities without always coordinating their efforts. This led to conflicts and an uneven distribution of resources, which in turn created additional social tension. That is why the Agency, together with the humanitarian clusters, began to establish a coordination system. Today, partners coordinate their efforts, exchange information, and strive to avoid duplication of aid.
“Our goal is for every household to receive aid, but also for that aid to be distributed fairly,” explains Kulakevych.
According to Kulakevych, the most effective organizations today are those that maintain constant contact with communities, conduct on-the-ground needs assessments, coordinate their actions with local administrations, and are ready to adjust their plans to the actual situation. At the same time, he acknowledges that not all donors and project implementers have an equally good understanding of the specific conditions in the Kherson region. This is especially true for organizations that are coming to the region for the first time or are working within pre-established models without taking the frontline context into account. Such projects are sometimes developed far from the region and are then attempted to be implemented on the ground without a sufficient understanding of security constraints or the actual needs of the population.
Security remains a particular challenge. Due to constant shelling and complex logistics, even humanitarian activities require careful coordination. That is why the Agency insists that all organizations coordinate with military administrations and adhere to agreed-upon procedures for movement within the region.
Oleh Kulakevych speaks rather cautiously, but generally positively, about the authorities’ activities. He acknowledges there are many problems but urges people to evaluate the work of local administrations in light of the conditions under which they are forced to operate. He identifies the main challenge not as inefficiency or management errors, but as a constant shortage of personnel and an extraordinary workload on employees of local communities and military administrations: “The number of tasks is increasing, while the number of people carrying them out is, unfortunately, decreasing. Many employees are working literally under the shell. After enemy attacks, they travel to the sites of destruction, document the damage, help people file for compensation, coordinate utility services, and ensure the functioning of critical infrastructure. How can we say that something needs to be done better when every trip could be their last?”
Personnel shortages are also the Agency's main problem. Oleh Kulakevych says it’s difficult to find new specialists to join the team due to the large number of organizations operating in Kherson and the region.
Kulakevych emphasizes the importance of strategic planning. As an example, he cites the issue of water supply following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. In his view, the region lacks up-to-date data on groundwater conditions and an understanding of how to effectively build a future water supply system. That is why the Agency is initiating a comprehensive study of the region’s water resources.
Another important factor is logistics and infrastructure. Oleh mentions road repairs and explains that this is not merely a matter of convenience. Proper logistics impact the work of medical professionals, humanitarian organizations, the evacuation of people, and the delivery of aid. Without this, it is impossible to talk about community development.
One of the Agency’s new areas of focus is the “Recovery Advisor” project, which is being implemented with the support of international partners. The idea behind the project is to have specialists working in communities who are familiar with local needs and help mobilize resources for development. The advisors will receive training in project management, working with grant programs, and communicating with donors and international organizations. They will provide additional support to local administrations currently operating under severe staff shortages. At the same time, workspaces and learning centers—co-working spaces and hubs—are being created in the communities, where meetings, training sessions, and consultations can be held. According to Oleh Kulakevych, the main goal is to create a network of trained specialists who can professionally work on recovery and development programs now, without waiting for the war to end, and who can attract grants and manage them effectively. This will help communities attract new investments.
Speaking about the future of the Kherson region, Oleh Kulakevych makes no secret of the fact that the main prerequisite for the region’s development is security.
“We just want the war to end so that nothing gets in the way of our work. Once nothing is getting in the way, we’ll be able to do everything on our own,” he says.
In his view, it is precisely the people who have remained in their communities—working under difficult conditions and helping their towns survive day by day—who must form the foundation for the region’s future recovery.
And although the Kherson region continues to endure constant shelling today, approaches are already being developed here that will help the region transition from mere survival to systematic recovery—through coordination, partnership, and joint planning for the future.
We invite Kherson residents to participate in an anonymous survey to better understand the moods, needs, and challenges faced by the Kherson region's population, and to assess the effectiveness of public organizations and authorities' work. Each of your answers is a crucial brick in the foundation of your future recovery. Your answers are completely anonymous and will be used exclusively in a generalized form for analytical purposes.
The interview has been produced by the Kherson Regional Charitable Foundation “Union” with the support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED). Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of EED. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in this publication lies entirely with the authors.
