Poltava, Ukraine, 23 September 2026 – At the Partnership Fair in Poltava, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine presented the results of its work in digitalisation and war-induced environmental damage assessment that it has carried out with the support of Sweden. Representatives of the respective UNDP-led projects attended the event, which was organised by the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine under the Sweden on Tour initiative.

Sweden on Tour aims to bring the embassy, Sweden, and its partners closer to different regions of Ukraine. It is a vibrant, interactive open-air platform where organisers showcase Swedish culture, development projects, businesses, and support programmes. The fair in Poltava was the second such event this year, following a similar one held in Ivano-Frankivsk in May.

One of the projects participating in the event, the DIA Support Project, has been working to advance digitalisation in Ukraine since 2021. Over five years, UNDP and Sweden have supported the creation of 82 new electronic services, which Ukrainians have used more than 77 million times.

A key focus of this work is digital accessibility – ensuring that all these services and websites are accessible to everyone, and particularly to people with disabilities. Since 2021, together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, UNDP and Sweden have initiated fundamental changes to stimulate the improvement of the digital accessibility of state resources. This includes the development of a new state standard, which subsequently became mandatory for government agencies, the first official Ukrainian translation of the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and the establishment of the Digital Accessibility Competence Centre.

Project representatives explained to visitors to the fair what digital accessibility is and why it is critically important for Ukraine during wartime, while also teaching those interested how to write in Braille.

Representatives of another project implemented with financial support from Sweden – the Environmental Damage Assessment (EDA) Project – demonstrated at the fair how Ukraine is working to document and minimise the devastating impacts of the war on the environment. Two mobile mini-laboratories, currently operated by the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Central District (out of 10 handed over to the State Environmental Inspectorate in 2025), were also presented at the fair. Using these mini-laboratories on wheels, State Environmental Inspectorate specialists can collect data on environmental damage caused by the war. The vehicles are equipped with drones, water and soil sampling equipment, refrigeration units for sample storage, and Starlink satellite internet terminals for data transmission in remote areas. The delivery of a further 20 mini-laboratories is expected in October 2026.

Other initiatives of the environmental damage assessment project include the creation of the Coordination Centre for Environmental Damage Assessment, support in opening and operating 10 ecological control posts (including two in the central region), and conducting research and training for government specialists on the use of GIS technologies, chemical safety, and the environmental aspects of mine clearance, among other topics.

In 2026, the project and the State Environmental Inspectorate, with Swedish support, also launched the Registry of Environmental Damage, which will ensure the collection and preservation of evidence of war-induced environmental harm. The collected data is to be transferred to the International Register of Damage for Ukraine.

Media inquiries:

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications and Advocacy, yuliia.samus@undp.org