A Ukrainian preschool in the central region of Poltava reopened today after a €526,000 renovation financed primarily by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The Romashka preschool in the village of Kotelva underwent a comprehensive upgrade that received €438,000 in EIB support and €88,000 in local financing. 

The preschool, which serves 80 children and has 15 staff members, has a new roof, energy-efficient windows and doors and up-to-date engineering systems. It also has refurbished facades and interiors, new furniture and educational equipment and barrier-free access for children with disabilities.

The Romashka preschool includes children internally displaced by the war and another upgrade is a new protective shelter for air-raid alerts and other emergencies. 

“Ukrainian children continue to experience disruptions to safe, inperson schooling, affecting their wellbeing,” said EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer. “That is why we are helping communities rebuild and become more resilient even in the midst of war. Projects like the renovated Romashka preschool are designed for today’s realities: energy-efficient, accessible and built to meet the needs of communities facing extraordinary challenges. This is what European solidarity looks like in practice – standing with Ukraine and investing in its future.” 

The renovation was carried out between April 2024 and June 2026 under the €340 million EIB-financed “Ukraine Recovery Programme”. 

“The renovated Romashka pre-school is an investment in the future of the Kotelva community,” said Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine. “It gives children a safe and welcoming place to learn while providing families with a modern facility that will serve the community for many years. Together with Ukraine, the European Union continues to restore public services that people rely on.”

The Ukraine Recovery Programme supports the restoration of critical social infrastructure across the country. It is one of three joint EU-EIB recovery initiatives implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and local authorities, with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“Despite all the challenges of the war, we continue to systematically restore social infrastructure. The reopening of the renovated Romashka preschool in Kotelva provides safe and modern conditions for children. We thank our European partners and UNDP for their support under the Ukraine Recovery Programme,” said Minister for Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine Mykola Kalashnyk.

“For our community, the reopening of the Romashka preschool is a significant step forward,” said Head of the Kotelva territorial community Natalia Sidnenko. “Thanks to the support of the EU, children now have a safe, inclusive and comfortable place to learn and grow while families can feel more confident about the future. The new protective shelter is especially important, as it allows us to maintain educational services even during air-raid alerts.”

“Recovery starts at the community level,” said UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine Auke Lootsma. “The reopening of the Romashka preschool gives children a safe place to learn while strengthening the resilience of the entire community. This is what effective recovery partnerships can achieve.”

Background information

The EIB in Ukraine 

Present in Ukraine since 2007, the EIB Group has significantly stepped up its financial support for the country’s resilience and modernisation following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Since then, EIB financing in support of Ukraine has reached €4.5 billion. Through its EU for Ukraine (EU4U) Initiative, coupled with its key role in implementing a dedicated window under the Ukraine Facility, the EIB is strongly committed to stepping up and accelerating its activities in line with the mandate given by EU leaders and in close cooperation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States and international partners.

EIB recovery programmes in Ukraine

The renovation of the Romashka preschool in Kotelva was carried out as part of the Ukraine Recovery Programme, one of three recovery initiatives supported by the EIB. As of July 2026, the EIB has provided €740 million through these programmes to support Ukraine’s recovery. The funding helps the government to restore essential services in communities across the country – including schools, preschools, hospitals, housing, heating and water systems. These EIB-backed programmes are further supported by €15 million in EU grants to facilitate implementation. The Ministry of Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, coordinates and oversees programme implementation, while local authorities and self-government entities are responsible for managing recovery sub-projects. The UNDP in Ukraine provides technical assistance to local communities, supporting project implementation and ensuring independent monitoring for transparency and accountability. More information about the programmes is available here.

Press contact

Olga Sushytska, o.sushytska@eib.org, tel.: +352437986063 

Website: www.eib.org/press – Press Office: press@eib.org

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org