Kenneth Glad
New attacks show how hard recovery will be in places already damaged by war. For residents to return, towns need safety, working services and reliable support.
Russia sent 216 drones into Ukraine overnight Tuesday this week. Ukrainian forces said air defenses shot down 192.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported 25 strike-drone hits in ten locations, with debris falling in five others, writes Latvijas Avize.
For damaged towns, each new strike can delay repairs, block access roads and push residents farther from returning.
Rebuilding tied to control
Retired colonel and military analyst Oleg Zhdanov tells Glavred, that he believes that destroyed Ukrainian cities can only be rebuilt properly if Ukraine regains control of those territories.
His view is that reconstruction requires more than new buildings. Local authorities must be able to restore utilities, reopen services and make people feel safe enough to come back.
Zhdanov said rebuilt towns could help Ukrainians return to their home regions and bring workers back to communities drained by war:
“We are on our own land, and rebuilding cities makes sense for us. Russia simply does not need any of this.”
Foreign help
Zhdanov said Ukraine would have a better chance of restoring devastated cities if international partners took part. The scale of the damage means local resources alone may not be enough.
He also argued that Moscow is unlikely to spend heavily on civilian reconstruction in occupied areas because its money is being directed toward the war.
That leaves many ruined settlements in limbo. Without Ukrainian control, Zhdanov suggested, proper rebuilding is unlikely to begin.
Russia may stage limited projects
Military-political observer Oleksandr Kovalenko, cited by Latvijas Avīze, gave a similar assessment.
He said Russia is unlikely to rebuild Ukrainian cities that have been completely destroyed.
Kovalenko said real reconstruction would require huge investment. Instead, he suggested Moscow may create “Potemkin villages,” meaning small showcase repairs meant to make occupied areas look orderly.
Such efforts would not restore whole cities. They would offer an image for cameras, while residents still face broken housing, damaged infrastructure and uncertain prospects.
For Ukraine, the fate of these cities comes down to control first, then the difficult work of making them livable again.
Sources: Latvijas Avīze, Glavred
