Arakhamiia, from Mykolaiv, understands the importance of Kinburn for the region’s economy — Kim on the terms of peace with Russia

Davyd Arakhamiia on a working visit to Mykolaiv, 2021. Archive photo: NikVesti

Vitalii Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, believes that Davyd Arakhamiia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, who is participating in the negotiation process for a peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine, will champion the issue of the de-occupation of the Kinburn Spit.

This will allow the ports of Mykolaiv to resume operations and the region’s economy to develop, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration said in an interview with Ekonomichna Pravda.

«According to my calculations, 30–40% of the region’s economy depended on the ports. We have always been a logistics hub; now it is gone. Our calculations for the region’s recovery, which form part of the «South 2.0» strategy, are based on the fact that the southern region has navigational and export potential. Investors need the ports to be operational in order to access the markets of Europe and Central Asia.

This is very important for Mykolaiv. I know this issue is being discussed in the negotiations. Davyd Arakhamiia, who is from Mykolaiv and fully understands the challenges facing the south, is part of this negotiating group. He knows this not from books, but from his own experience,» said Vitalii Kim.

Read also the article by NikVesti «Just 3.5 Kilometers From the Enemy: Ochakiv, a Resort Turned Frontline Town». There, we explain in particular why Ochakiv and the Kinburn Spit are important to Russia.

What is happening on Kinburn?

The territory of the Kinburn Spit has been occupied by Russian troops since 2022. In fact, the Russians have been shelling the Ochakiv and Kutsurub communities in the Mykolaiv region from there for over a year.

To date, only three settlements in the region remain occupied, all of which are located on the Kinburn Spit:

• the village of Vasylivka. Before the full-scale war, the population stood at 382;
• the village of Pokrovka. Before the full-scale war, the population was 229;
• the village of Pokrovske. Before the full-scale war, the population was 177 people.

The head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Vitalii Kim, stated that the liberation of the Kinburn Spit is a matter of time, «and not very long at that». This was also confirmed by the Southern Defence Forces.

Meanwhile, Russian occupiers continue to shell and mine the protected area of the Kinburn Spit. Wild animals are blown up by mines there almost daily, and there have been cases of human casualties. This is discussed in the article by NikVesti entitled ‘On the brink of destruction: How the protected Kinburn Spit is suffering from the actions of the occupiers’.

Throughout the occupation, forests on the Kinburn Spit have been burning from time to time. As a result, Red List orchids and other unique plants and animals are under threat.

Experts say that after the de-occupation, the Kinburn Spit will need time for nature to recover on its own. Vitalii Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, believes that the nature reserve on the Kinburn Spit can be restored.

In October 2024, Serhii Belyakov, the gauleiter of the occupied villages of Pokrovka and Vasylivka on the Kinburn Spit, complained about the actions of Russian soldiers who are looting and threatening the local population with violence and reprisals.