EIB Disburses €74m to Sustain Ukraine’s Services, Transport and Energy Resilience

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska said the Bank’s investments are focused on keeping Ukraine’s core services functioning and improving daily life for communities under strain.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has disbursed more than €74 million to support critical investments across Ukraine, helping the country maintain essential public services and infrastructure amid the ongoing war. The funding is directed towards rebuilding and upgrading education, healthcare and social facilities, while also strengthening rail and urban transport systems vital for mobility, logistics and economic resilience.

The financing package includes EIB loans guaranteed by the European Union under the €50 billion Ukraine Facility, alongside grant funding mobilised through the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P) fund and the Renewable Energy Solutions (RES) Programme. The RES Programme is supported by Germany’s International Climate Initiative, while the E5P fund brings together multiple international donors.

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska said the Bank’s investments are focused on keeping Ukraine’s core services functioning and improving daily life for communities under strain.

“Our support for Ukraine is about investing where it matters most,” she said. “By strengthening transport, education and healthcare infrastructure and improving energy efficiency, we are helping communities stay connected, resilient and better prepared for recovery.”

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said the EU-backed investments are already delivering concrete results on the ground.

“Damaged schools and hospitals are being rebuilt to higher energy-efficiency standards, critical transport links are being repaired, and backup systems installed,” she said. “These projects are restoring essential services so Ukrainians can live with dignity and hope.”

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, Oleksii Kuleba, said the support is helping rebuild the foundations of everyday life.

“With the support of the EIB and the European Commission, Ukraine is strengthening transport connectivity, reinforcing public buildings and ensuring essential services continue nationwide,” he said. “This support builds resilience today and lays the groundwork for recovery tomorrow.”

A significant share of the funding is dedicated to improving urban mobility and rail connectivity. Of the total disbursement, €24.66 million will support urban public transport projects, including the construction of a new depot in Lviv and the purchase of buses, trams and trolleybuses for Lviv, Dnipro, Kremenchuk and Ternopil.

An additional €13.49 million has been allocated to Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) to upgrade rail border crossings, improve freight operations and strengthen transport links with the European Union, supporting both trade and humanitarian logistics.

Energy efficiency improvements form another key pillar of the investment. €22 million will support refurbishment and energy-efficiency upgrades in universities across Ukraine, complemented by a €6.75 million grant from the E5P fund, with the European Union and Sweden among the largest contributors.

A further €5.52 million will fund energy-efficiency renovations in schools, kindergartens, hospitals and social facilities across the Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv regions. This is supported by an additional €1.2 million E5P grant focused specifically on hospital facilities in Kovel, Lanivtsi and Sarny.

Lisa Fredriksson, Head of the Department for Europe at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), said energy-efficiency measures are critical for maintaining services during winter.

“Through the E5P fund, schools, kindergartens and hospitals can stay warm while saving energy,” she said, reaffirming Sweden’s long-term commitment to supporting Ukraine.

The disbursement also includes €1.12 million under the Renewable Energy Solutions Programme to install solar photovoltaic systems with battery storage in six secondary schools in the Poltava, Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. These systems will provide independent power supplies, lower energy costs and help ensure uninterrupted education during power outages.

Philipp Behrens, Head of the International Climate Initiative Division at Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, said the programme supports both resilience and the transition to cleaner energy.

“These projects help schools and municipalities withstand attacks on energy infrastructure while moving towards decentralised renewable energy systems,” he said.

The EIB says the funding package demonstrates the EU’s continued commitment to supporting Ukraine’s resilience, recovery and long-term reconstruction through targeted investments in people, infrastructure and energy security.