Modernization and protection of Ukraine's energy infrastructure should not be financed at the expense of the population, Kharkiv Mayor and Chairman of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities (AFCC) Ihor Terekhov said.

"Energy sector restoration should not take place through tariff increases for households and businesses. We will not be able to bear this burden," the mayor's remarks at the forum "Resilience, Recovery, Development: a Vision of Frontline Communities – 2026," held in Kharkiv on Thursday, were quoted by the city's press service.

Terekhov noted that decentralizing heating systems, installing cogeneration equipment and protecting it, and restoring networks require significant funding, which frontline community budgets lack. Therefore, state support programs for frontline communities are needed, with clear co-financing mechanisms and energy infrastructure protection measures.

"At the local level, we are doing everything possible: decentralizing heating systems, installing cogeneration units, restoring networks, repairing and rebuilding housing, supporting veterans and internally displaced persons, and ensuring safe education for children. But the truth is simple: all of this requires enormous resources. No municipality, not only in Ukraine but anywhere in the world, can withstand such pressure alone. That is why we need decisions at the national level. Not general ones, but those focused specifically on territories bordering the front line. The government must take responsibility for financing and protecting reconstruction facilities, supporting decentralized electricity generation, and ensuring fair conditions for residents living under constant threat," Terekhov wrote on his Telegram channel.

In his opinion, a state housing construction and renovation program is also needed that would make mortgages more affordable and introduce effective social rental mechanisms in frontline cities and communities.

In addition, Terekhov stressed the inadmissibility of pressure on businesses.

"We emphasize: no pressure on businesses in combat zones. No new taxes or levies. Entrepreneurs who have continued to operate here under sirens and shelling are not a 'budget reserve.' They are the foundation of regional resilience. If they are broken, they will simply shut down," Terekhov said.

The AFCC forum "Resilience, Recovery, Development: Vision of Frontline Communities 2026" was attended by leaders of about 300 frontline communities, as well as representatives of the government, regional authorities, and international organizations.

Forum participants identified key priorities for the association's work this year, including public safety and protection of critical infrastructure, energy resilience, access to healthcare, support for internally displaced persons, preservation of human capital, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. A separate priority is reconstruction, which forum participants believe should begin immediately, even under wartime conditions.