Capacity-Building Programme Backed by Sweden and Nefco Strengthens Ukraine’s Reconstruction Workforce and Promotes Circular Demolition Practices

A key focus is on training and employing women in demolition and heavy machinery operation. Mariia is operating the excavator.

(IN BRIEF) Nefco is supporting a Swedish-funded demolition training programme in Finland for five Ukrainians, including three women, to help strengthen Ukraine’s sustainable reconstruction capabilities. Delivered in partnership with Lotus Demolition, the training covers safe and circular demolition practices, safety certification, and hands-on work with demolition machinery, followed by supervised fieldwork. The initiative is part of a EUR 6 million programme that pilots sustainable debris management in Irpin and involves equipment contributions from companies such as Scania, Volvo CE, JCB, and Komplet. Nefco, currently overseeing more than 60 green recovery projects in Ukraine, emphasizes capacity building—especially women’s participation—as a foundation for long-term resilience. Upon completion, trainees will return to Ukraine to support demolition and reconstruction efforts in Irpin and Mykulychi, where a school will be rebuilt with Finnish funding.

(PRESS RELEASE) HELSINKI, 20-Nov-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Nefco is advancing its commitment to Ukraine’s green and sustainable recovery by supporting a specialised demolition training programme for five Ukrainians—three women and two men—who travelled to Finland in November to become certified demolition professionals. The initiative, delivered in partnership with Nordic company Lotus Demolition and funded by Sweden, aims to transfer safe, circular, and modern demolition practices that will be critical for rebuilding war-damaged communities across Ukraine.

The programme combines classroom instruction with practical field experience. Participants receive training in demolition theory, occupational safety, asbestos handling, and material separation. They will obtain Finnish safety certifications translated into Ukrainian before progressing to hands-on modules in concrete crushing, metal sorting, and the operation of demolition machinery. The training culminates in three weeks of supervised fieldwork on active demolition sites in the Helsinki capital region.

Nataliia, Ljudmyla, Yevhenii and Oleksii are training in Finland to become professional demolition workers.

Kimmo Palomäki, CEO of Lotus Demolition, emphasised that the initiative goes far beyond technical instruction. “This is more than just training; it’s about transferring practical expertise that the participants can take back home to rebuild their own communities. That’s real reconstruction,” he noted.

One participant, Nataliia, shared her personal motivation. After losing her home due to the war, she now lives in Bucha and sees this opportunity as an important step toward helping restore her country: “Joining this team gives me the opportunity to learn demolition skills and actively contribute to rebuilding my country’s future.”

This training is a central component of a broader EUR 6 million Swedish-funded programme managed by Nefco. The initiative pilots a sustainable debris management model in Irpin—one of the most heavily affected cities near Kyiv—with the intention of scaling the approach to many more municipalities across Ukraine. The reconstruction effort is supported by leading Nordic and European companies: Scania and Volvo Construction Equipment are supplying trucks and demolition excavators; UK-based JCB is providing loaders; and Italy’s Komplet is delivering a debris-screening and crushing plant.

The project pilots a sustainable debris management approach in Irpin, near Kyiv.

A key aspect of the initiative is its emphasis on capacity building and the inclusion of women in demolition and heavy machinery roles. This focus not only accelerates the reconstruction process but also strengthens community resilience and promotes economic participation in post-war recovery.

Nefco, which currently manages more than 60 green recovery projects in Ukraine, is positioning the programme as part of a long-term strategy to combine Nordic expertise with local skills. Ulf Bojö, VP and Head of Nefco’s Eastern Europe department, highlighted the deeper mission: “By investing in people and sustainable methods, we are helping Ukraine build back greener and better.”

Once the training is completed, the newly certified demolition workers will return to Irpin to begin dismantling damaged apartment buildings, an industrial facility, and a school in the nearby community of Mykulychi. The school’s reconstruction will be funded by Finland through Nefco’s Green Recovery Programme.

For further information, please contact:

Vitaly Artyushchenko, Programme Manager, Nefco
vitaly.artyushchenko@nefco.int, +358 50 9112427

Anni Rein, Senior Communications Manager, Nefco
anni.rein@nefco.int, +358 10 6180 852

Olli-Pekka Itälä, Head of Division, Lotus Demolition
olli-pekka.itala@lotusdemolition.fi, +358 43 824 0177

About Lotus Demolition

A market leader and pioneer in the field of demolition, Lotus Demolition Oy offers comprehensive demolition services. As the only company in the industry, we offer our customers the possibility of real-time monitoring of the demolition site. We operate nationwide in Finland and can also handle international demolition projects. We belong to the Nordic company Lotus, a family business operating in the fields of demolition, transport and landscaping. Our parent company is headquartered in Sweden. The company’s net sales total approximately EUR 120 million, and it employs about 450 professionals, making it the biggest demolition company in the Nordics. Read more at lotusdemolition.fi

SOURCE: Nefco