In the first anniversary of the 100 Year Partnership with Ukraine, the government has announced the investment to support repairing damage from Russia’s attacks
The money is being put towards repairing Ukrainian infrastructure, particularly energy infrastructure, as Russia specifically targets this.
As a result of Russia’s abhorrent attacks, many Ukrainian homes, schools, and more have been left without heat or power, at a time when the Ukrainian winter is biting the hardest.
The money will fund emergency repairs
Heat and power for children and elderly citizens is the foremost intention of the £20m, as President Zelenskyy has announced a state of emergency for Ukraine’s energy sector. The money will support the restoration of, and protection of energy generation.
The UK is now at £470m in support of Ukraine’s energy sector, including constructing new solutions for clean energy and building energy resilience.
As a part of this anniversary, the UK is also launching a school twinning programme with Ukraine, designed to boost skills across both countries, including in construction, as well as strengthening cultural and educational ties.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Today we are cementing our future-facing partnership with the expansion of our successful school twinning scheme to over 300 new schools – fostering new connections between our young people and helping build their confidence and skill sets for future success.
“Our support for Ukraine as it continues to resist Putin’s barbaric war is steadfast, and our ongoing support for energy security and resilience will help to keep the lights on and Ukrainian homes warm when vulnerable civilians need it most.
“Our bilateral ties extend far beyond the conflict, from opening new doors to trade and growth for British businesses, deepening defence cooperation, partnering to drive innovations in science and technology, and deepening our educational and cultural ties, we are building lasting security and shared prosperity for Ukraine, for the UK and for future generations.”
Russia’s invasion has driven construction costs up globally
When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, several issues arose that raised costs of construction projects in various ways.
Energy prices increased, especially in Europe, due to dependency on Russian gas and oil, meaning the running of projects that are energy-intensive, i.e. projects that need a lot of heavy machinery, transport, etc. or the production of materials that are energy-intensive such as steel or plastics.
Critical materials such as iron, nickel, and chemical products also took a hit in terms of availability, due to often needing to import them, meaning their cost also increased.
As the market was also hit by Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic shortly followed, the UK construction industry took a massive hit, of which it is still struggling to recover from.
Construction businesses are currently one of the hardest to keep afloat in the UK, as in the first half of 2025, 783 businesses entered administration and 10% of them were construction businesses. That’s 79 construction companies in six months.
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