Restoration of Ukrainian scientific facilities to cost US$1.3 billion – UNESCO study

The cost of restoring Ukraine's state-owned scientific facilities, many of which were destroyed during Russia's invasion, is estimated to be more than US$1.26 billion.

Source: a study by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), reported by Ukrinform 

Quote: "According to the new study published today by UNESCO and the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, a total of 1,443 buildings belonging to 177 scientific institutions have been damaged or destroyed in the past two years. Restoring these buildings will cost more than US$1.21 billion – including US$980.5 million for universities alone as these have suffered the greatest losses."

Details: Kharkiv Oblast’s scientific infrastructure suffered the most, with the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (US$116.5 million) and the Oleksii Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv (US$104.1 million) incurring the most costly damage.

The study notes that much of the equipment was destroyed or stolen. More than 750 pieces of scientific and technical equipment were damaged, 643 of which are beyond repair. The total cost of restoring and replacing research equipment is estimated at US$45.9 million.

"The temporary occupation of territories by Russian forces is also having a major impact: 18 scientific institutes have had to relocate, some of which were conducting studies on local biodiversity and ecology which cannot continue remotely," the study stresses.

It was pointed out that the current status of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, located near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, is of particular concern. Equipment for monitoring the state of the nuclear industry has been stolen or destroyed, including a unique radiological laboratory that monitors radiation levels.

The war has also significantly reduced funding for science in Ukraine. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics noted that gross domestic expenditure on research and development decreased by 38.5% - from US$2.019 billion to US$1.242 billion - between 2021 and 2022.

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