Swedish water technology company Wayout is set to begin water production in southern Ukraine after the contract for the first unit was signed and financing secured, marking the operational phase of a broader initiative to restore drinking water access across the Kherson region.
The programme stems from a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Government of Ukraine at the Swedish Embassy in Kyiv in June 2025, covering 40 decentralised Wayout systems with combined capacity to supply safe water to around 400,000 people. The first installation will take place in the Velyka Oleksandrivka community, where approximately 10,000 residents live close to the front line.
The destruction of the Kakhovka dam by Russian military actions left water supply networks severely damaged, with centralised treatment systems rendered non-functional and wells contaminated across the region. Wayout's systems address this by producing water locally at the point of need, using advanced purification technology and operating independently of pipeline infrastructure, making them suited to unstable or conflict-affected environments. Though current regional population stands at around 134,000 following wartime displacement, the infrastructure is being scaled for eventual repopulation: the Kherson region was home to nearly 490,000 inhabitants before Russia's full-scale invasion.
The collaboration brings together a broad coalition of public and private actors. The initiative is backed by the Swedish government and coordinated through Business Sweden and Team Sweden, reflecting a cross-sector commitment that took shape at COP28 in Dubai, where Sweden's Minister for Climate and the Environment, Romina Pourmokhtari, met with Wayout founder Ulf Stenerhag. Industrial partners Siemens, Micro Matic, and Schäfer Container Systems are contributing expertise across the supply chain.
Oleksandr Prokudin, Governor of the Kherson region, underscored the case for distributed infrastructure: "The Kherson region has suffered enormous damage to its water infrastructure. Restoring centralized systems will take years. Decentralized solutions like the Wayout systems allow us to protect civilians now, reduce health risks, and rebuild resilience at the community level."
