Kharkiv's Mayor on Wartime Sanitation: How City Services Operate Under Fire.

Maintaining Essential Services in a Frontline City

According to Novyny.live: At a forum held on February 5, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov detailed the ongoing efforts of municipal workers to keep the city clean despite the ongoing war. The event, titled 'Resilience, Recovery, Development: The Vision for Frontline Communities — 2026', highlighted the critical sanitation work continuing under constant threat. For cities like Kharkiv, which face regular shelling, maintaining basic services is a daily act of defiance and normalcy.

'We are working; this is our mentality.' - Ihor Terekhov

Mayor Terekhov expressed his ambition for Kharkiv to become 'the cleanest city in Ukraine'. He stressed the importance of providing decent living conditions for residents, regardless of the national crisis.

'I want our people to live in normal conditions, despite the war, but in normal ones.' - Ihor Terekhov

The forum also noted that the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities has tripled in size, demonstrating a significant increase in cooperation and mutual support among municipalities during this difficult period. Keeping Kharkiv clean remains a key priority for local authorities, underscoring the commitment of utility services to maintain order.

Preserving Infrastructure and Livability

The discussions emphasized the vital need to sustain infrastructure and quality of life in cities impacted by conflict. During a prolonged war, initiatives aimed at improving residents' living conditions become crucial for the community's moral and social well-being. The growing collaboration between frontline communities further indicates a readiness for joint action and solidarity in the face of shared regional challenges.