Every day, Ukrainian cities are showing what resilience means. Under occupation, displacement and the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, local governments continue to keep services running, protect residents and plan for recovery.
In Kyiv, public transport, schools, hospitals and social services continue to operate despite repeated attacks on critical infrastructure.
In Kherson, liberated after months of occupation and still under daily shelling, public services are being delivered above and below ground.
In Mariupol, whose legitimate city government now operates in exile, local leaders are supporting displaced residents while preparing for the city’s future reconstruction.
As Russia’s war continues, they are showing that Ukrainian cities are not only surviving. They are defending democracy, protecting their people and preparing to rebuild.
The war is not only an attack on Ukraine. It is an attack on Europe’s values and the right of people to live freely in their cities. In this struggle, Ukrainian cities have become places of resistance, service and hope.
A powerful moment in Utrecht
This message was brought powerfully to the Eurocities Conference 2026 in Utrecht, during a special discussion with leaders from Ukrainian cities.
In a moving moment, Ukraine’s local leaders gave a direct account of what it means to govern under war. Olena Hovorova, Deputy Mayor of Kyiv, spoke about the daily pressure of keeping trust and services alive under attack. Olha Pikula, Deputy Mayor of Mariupol, described the challenge of maintaining a city community scattered by occupation and displacement.
“Thank you for your strength and your optimism,” said André Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities. “You can be sure of our support.”
The moment also underlined the solidarity across the Eurocities network, with many member cities providing emergency aid, sharing expertise and building partnerships with Ukrainian cities. The city of Leipzig, for example, has supported Kyiv with generators, fire engines and civil protection vehicles, while Birmingham has helped Ukrainians locally through English classes, employment support and housing advice.
Thank you for your strength and your optimism. You can be sure of our support.
But discussions also pointed to a turning point. Emergency support remains vital, but the focus is gradually shifting towards recovery and reconstruction. Cities will be central to rebuilding infrastructure, restoring services, strengthening democracy and advancing the green transition.
Keeping Kyiv moving
For Kyiv, resilience has meant keeping the capital running under constant threat.
Olena Hovorova described a city where critical infrastructure was targeted, where people spent nights in shelters and returned to work the next morning, and where the city administration continued to deliver services for residents.
“Kyiv continues to function,” stated the deputy mayor. “Public transport, schools and hospitals work. Social services support people.”
She explained that this was possible because of the resilience of Kyiv’s people and the support of international partners. Cities across Europe have provided generators, emergency equipment, medical supplies and humanitarian assistance, helping keep essential services running during the most difficult moments.
But Kyiv’s message was also about the future. “Today, we need more than emergency aid,” Hovorova said. “We need long-term partnerships. We need investment in resilient infrastructure. We need expertise, innovation and preparation.”
We need long-term partnerships. We need investment in resilient infrastructure. We need expertise, innovation and preparation.
Kyiv is already preparing recovery projects, from accessibility and energy resilience to support for veterans and displaced people. “The war has taught us an important lesson,” Hovorova added. “The strongest asset of Kyiv is not our buildings or roads. It is our citizens.”
Kherson’s underground resilience
In Kherson, resilience has taken a different form. Vitalii Bielobrov, Deputy Mayor of Kherson, described a city that was occupied for eight and a half months, then liberated, and has since faced daily shelling from Russian forces only a few kilometres away.
The attacks target civilians, cars, ambulances, fire trucks and public services. Before the war, Kherson had around 320,000 residents. Today, around 73,000 people remain, many of them elderly. For the city government, the key priority is to continue to support and protect the people who stayed.
Despite the extreme conditions, Kherson continues to function. Public transport still operates, humanitarian and administrative services continue, and education has moved online. Hospitals and surgeries operate underground.
“A city without people is just walls, concrete and roads,” Bielobrov said. “The main value is people.”
Mariupol: a city government in exile
Mariupol shows another kind of urban resilience: a city operating in exile, together with its people. Since May 2022, the city has been under temporary Russian occupation. But the legitimate Ukrainian municipality has not stopped working. It continues to support residents who were forced to flee, while planning for the city’s future return and reconstruction.
A city without people is just walls, concrete and roads. The main value is people.
“We are not just a city and a municipal team operating on other territory in Ukraine. We are relocated together with our people,” said Olha Pikula.
Through the ‘I’Mariupol’ network, the city is now providing support across Ukraine, helping displaced residents access legal, psychological, medical, educational and practical services. The municipality opened support centres in the cities where Mariupol residents had fled, helping people integrate into new communities, find work and rebuild their lives.
Housing has become one of the biggest challenges for Mariupol residents who lost their homes. In response, the municipality is working with the Ukrainian government and international partners on social and affordable housing projects, including renovated facilities in Kyiv and Dnipro.
“If we want to support our people today, if we want to preserve our people today in Ukraine, and if we want to bring back Ukrainians to Ukraine, we need to provide housing opportunities and economic opportunities for our people,” Pikula explained.
At the same time, Mariupol is already planning for its future return, with reconstruction plans, an urban vision and a recovery plan for the city.
European cities continue to stand with Ukraine
While Ukrainian cities are standing strong and taking decisive action to support their residents, they continue to be backed by cities across Europe. This support is turning solidarity into practical action, from long-term partnerships to urgent help for essential services.
For Leipzig, this support is rooted in a long-standing partnership with Kyiv, built through cultural, civic and youth exchanges. Since the war began, Leipzig has coordinated support through an internal Ukraine Steering Group, delivered fire engines and technical transport vehicles for civil protection.
Speaking at the Eurocities conference, Ulrich Hörning, Deputy Mayor of Leipzig, said cities must recognise what is at stake for the whole of Europe. “It is not just a war against Ukraine. It is a war against the European way of life,” he said.
Frankfurt has also turned partnership into practical support. In May 2024, the city signed a cooperation agreement with Lviv. It has provided humanitarian aid, medical equipment, cultural cooperation and support for Ukrainian refugees, while its municipal bus company has donated four articulated buses to Kyiv.
In Birmingham, support has focused on helping Ukrainian people rebuild their lives locally. Since June 2023, the city has worked with community partners through the Homes for Ukraine programme, supporting employability, wellbeing, independence and integration.
It is not just a war against Ukraine. It is a war against the European way of life.
North Birmingham for Ukraine has delivered English classes, wellbeing sessions, employment support, housing transition assistance and community activities, helping Ukrainian families build confidence, connections and a sense of belonging.
Winter support: keeping essential services running
This solidarity became even more urgent during the past winter, when extreme cold added new pressure on Ukrainian cities already facing attacks on civilian infrastructure.
With people left without electricity, heating or water during freezing conditions, hospitals, schools and homes struggled to keep operating. Ukrainian cities called for generators, transformers, mobile boiler units, solar panels and other practical equipment.
Eurocities members responded. Gdansk supported Odesa with generators, while Nantes Metropole sent generators to Kherson, and Riga allocated €100,000 for urgent energy needs, including generators, cogeneration units and energy storage systems.
Stuttgart continued sending equipment to its partner city Khmelnytskyi, Munich sent generators to Kyiv, and Terrassa provided funding for food and medicines and delivered ambulances, generators and emergency medical equipment.
These actions were practical, targeted and immediate. They helped keep water systems running, hospitals operating and homes heated, showing how city-to-city solidarity can make a direct difference to people’s lives.
From solidarity to reconstruction
While this support has proved vital, Ukrainian cities are making it clear that solidarity must now move from emergency response to long-term partnership. Immediate support remains essential, especially as cities continue to face attacks on homes, energy systems and public services. However, Ukrainian cities also need investment, technical expertise and a central role in reconstruction planning.
They require partners to help rebuild infrastructure, restore services, provide housing, strengthen local democracy and create greener, more inclusive communities.
A great example of this collaboration is the EU-funded SUN4Ukraine project, which partners Ukrainian municipalities with European Mission Cities to turn local recovery needs into sustainable, investment-ready projects.
This important project is making progress, with the 12 selected Ukrainian Municipalities working alongside experts to develop concrete Climate Neutrality Plans, focusing on priorities including energy, transport, buildings, waste, water and green infrastructure.
Looking ahead, Ukrainian cities are strong, defiant and determined. They are fighting for their freedom, but also for the future of Europe.
They are calling for European cities to stand with them, rebuild with them, and work with them to defend their common values.
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Main photo copyright city of Mariupol.
