Kharkiv will need $10 billion to rebuild after Russian attacks, says Mayor Terekhov

According to him, the city budget has three priorities. The first is to support the army. Terekhov noted that during the full-scale war with Russia, Kharkiv has transferred more than UAH 500 million ($12.8 million) for the needs of the Armed Forces, including more than UAH 100 million ($2.6 million) since the beginning of 2024.

The second priority in the city's budget is to support children whose parents were killed on the battlefield, and the third is the actual reconstruction. According to Terekhov, Kharkiv needs $10 billion to rebuild, and "no city budget in the world can withstand such a burden."

The mayor also noted that local businesses, which, according to Terekhov, are having a "very difficult time", and the help of international partners are being involved in the reconstruction.

Situation in the city

Terekhov said that the Russian troops have not approached Kharkiv, but are targeting the city from Belgorod, using S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles, which, as the mayor noted, can reach the city in 40 seconds. The aggressor has also started using Shahed suicide drones more often.

According to him, the Russians destroyed the entire critical energy infrastructure of Kharkiv with missile and drone strikes. Currently, 150,000 residents of the city are without electricity. The city's "Points of Invincibility" are working around the clock. Terekhov said that 28,000 Kharkiv residents came to the centers during the last two days of the blackout after the attacks.

In addition, people are being fed free of charge in schools. Over the year, 10 million meals have been distributed, the mayor added.

Currently, the city is home to 1.3 million people, but despite the difficult situation with the power supply, Terekhov assures that there are no grounds for evacuation.