Kyiv has put 85 new buses into service on 16 routes across the city after an €18.5 million fleet renewal financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group.
The buses have replaced older vehicles and are intended to help residents reach workplaces, schools, hospitals and other destinations during Russia’s war, the EIB Group said in a release on Thursday.
Each bus is 12 metres long and includes heating, air-conditioning, passenger information screens, audio stop announcements and video cameras.
The vehicles also have low floors, access ramps and dedicated wheelchair spaces.
“Russia’s war continues to put enormous pressure on Ukraine and its cities including the capital, but people still need to get to work, take their children to school and reach essential services,” EIB Group Vice-President Karl Nehammer said at a handover ceremony in Kyiv.
Part of a wider programme in ten Ukrainian cities
The Kyiv upgrade is part of a €200 million EIB Group programme called the Ukraine Urban Public Transport Project (UUPTP I), implemented by Ukraine’s Ministry for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport.
The programme also covers Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Lviv, Lutsk, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and Mykolaiv, with an additional €3.5 million in EU technical assistance.
“Russia’s war has made accessible public transport more important than ever, particularly for veterans and people recovering from injuries,” stated Gediminas Navickas, Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
Kyiv, with a population of around 3 million, received the buses between September 2025 and June 2026.
The vehicles are operated by the city’s municipal transport company Kyivpastrans and can carry up to 107 passengers, including 27 seated.
“Despite the constant threat of Russian attacks, Kyiv continues to work and develop,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
