Poltava Region expands cooperation with Germany: EU grants and civil protection are the priority

Prepared by: Violeta Skrypnikova

The Poltava Regional Military Administration held an online meeting with representatives of aconium GmbH. The sides discussed German–Ukrainian exchange of experience on civil protection, crisis preparedness and strengthening community resilience.

The meeting was attended by the head of the Poltava Regional Council Oleksandr Bilenkyi, his first deputy Oleksandr Lemeshko and the deputy head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration Yevhen Konchakovskyi, the regional military administration reported.

The meeting discussed the importance of preparing communities for a range of challenges — from prolonged power outages and communication disruptions to interruptions in supplies and transport links. Ukraine’s experience of responding to crises, gained since the start of the full-scale invasion, it was noted, may also be useful to European partners.

“Civil protection and the resilience of regions are relevant today not only for Ukraine but also for European countries. Even in peacetime, regions must be ready for different crisis scenarios. In Ukraine, because of the full-scale war, local authorities have learned to respond to emergencies while at the same time keeping people’s everyday life going. It is important to pass this experience on to partners so that we can develop effective solutions together,” said Alla Dmytrieva, General Regional Coordinator of aconium GmbH in Ukraine.

The participants paid particular attention to opportunities for practical cooperation and for implementing projects with the support of international partners. Among other things, they discussed attracting funding and combining the efforts of authorities, business, state institutions and charitable foundations.

“At the meeting with our German partners we will present projects related to the municipal sector and to the rehabilitation of veterans. Ukraine, and Poltava Region in particular, has unique experience in overcoming the consequences of war and supporting the people affected by it. It is important to share these achievements, while also learning from our partners’ experience and looking for opportunities for joint projects,” stressed Yevhen Konchakovskyi.

The German–Ukrainian exchange of experience is meant to help strengthen communities’ readiness for crises, develop effective civil protection mechanisms and introduce solutions that will help ensure the resilience of territories and proper support for residents in emergencies.

“We discussed cooperation with the regions of Germany and the possibility of attracting grant funding from the European Union. The priorities include joint projects in civil protection, infrastructure recovery and strengthening community resilience. We plan to attract European funds for their implementation. The win-win principle is important to us — both sides should benefit from the cooperation. We have much to learn from our German colleagues, but Poltava Region also has experience it can share,” Oleksandr Bilenkyi noted.

The next step, he said, is a German–Ukrainian conference on civil protection and municipal resilience, to be held on 23–27 November in Berlin. There the sides will continue the dialogue and look for new partners for joint projects.

Source: Poltava Region News (np.pl.ua), https://np.pl.ua/2026/10/30/poltavshchyna-rozshyriuie-spivpratsiu-z-nimechchynoiu-priorytet-zaluchennia-hrantiv-yes-ta-tsyvilnyy-zakhyst/