---
title: "273,000 Families Received Compensation, But Frontline Residents Are Trapped in an 'Assessment Trap': How the eRestoration Program Works and Where It Stalls"
description: "More than 273,000 families have received compensation under the eRestoration program totaling 160.9 billion hryvnias, but in frontline communities payments are frozen, satellite images are not updated, and Draft Law No. 11444 proposes equating housing in uninhabitable zones to destroyed property."
date: 2026-11-01T07:04:51.230Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/erestoration-273000-families-compensation-frontline-restrictions
tags: [ukraine, housing-compensation, evidnovlennya, frontline, reconstruction, diia-app, parliament]
author: "Darya Fomina"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# 273,000 Families Received Compensation, But Frontline Residents Are Trapped in an 'Assessment Trap': How the eRestoration Program Works and Where It Stalls

![A man in a suit reviews documents against a collage of destroyed houses and the eRestoration app interface](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/01/evidnovlennya-273-tysyachy-semej-kompensacii-prifrontovye-ogranicheniya/evidnovlennya-273-tysyachy-semej-kompensacii-prifrontovye-ogranicheniya-1.webp)

## Key Points

- As of October 10, 2026, 273,169 families received compensation totaling 160.9 billion hryvnias under the eRestoration program
- In frontline communities (Borova community, Kramatorsk), payments for damaged housing are frozen by law due to the combat zone status
- Remote inspection via satellite images is stalling: State Space Agency data for certain communities has not been updated since last year
- Draft Law No. 11444 proposes equating housing in areas unfit for habitation to destroyed property, removing the need for commissions to travel under shelling
- Independent repairs before the commission's visit strip the right to compensation; submitting applications via ASC reduces the risk of delays

The state program eRestoration has become one of Ukraine's largest wartime initiatives, reaching millions of citizens whose homes were damaged as a result of hostilities. According to the Ministry of Restoration, as of October 10, 2026, compensation was received by 273,169 families totaling 160.9 billion hryvnias. Of these, over 159,000 families received payments for damaged housing worth 15.5 billion hryvnias, and over 109,000 families received certificates for the purchase of new housing for destroyed property worth 137.2 billion hryvnias. There are more than a thousand special assessment commissions operating in the country to review citizens' applications regarding the consequences of shelling. Olena Shulyak, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning, emphasized in a comment to RBC-Ukraine that the program's effectiveness is best measured by the number of families who were able to resolve their housing issues thanks to it.

### The Category 'Trap': Surviving Walls Deny Funds for Restoration

However, behind the overall figures lies a complex system of damage categories that in some cases puts homeowners at a dead end. According to the program's rules, if surviving walls remain in a house after shelling, the object is automatically classified under capital repairs. This means residents receive only a limited amount for restoration but do not get a certificate to purchase new housing. For citizens living in frontline communities where a house is effectively uninhabitable but not formally recognized as destroyed, this classification proves critical: they receive neither full compensation for restoration nor a certificate for new housing. It is this 'gray zone' between damage and destruction that creates the greatest flow of appeals and complaints about the work of assessment commissions.

### Frontline Territories: Commissions Work Under Shelling, While Payments Are Frozen

The program's actual implementation varies noticeably depending on the region. In rear oblasts, commissions operate normally, whereas in frontline zones, the process is complicated by security risks for experts. A clear example is data from the Izium District State Administration dated October 16, 2026. In the Balakliia community, relatively distant from the frontline, the commission closed 94% of damage applications (5,450 statements), and in Izium — 91% (5,501). At the same time, in the frontline Borova community of the same district, applications for compensation for damaged objects are not accepted at all: due to the active combat zone status, repair payments are frozen by law. A similar situation arose in Kramatorsk after the community's status changed in August 2026. Regarding destroyed housing, the contrast is also sharp: while commissions approved 80% of certificate applications in the Izium district, in the Borova community it was only 39%. In Kharkiv Oblast, more than 260,000 reports of housing destruction and damage were recorded through the Diia application, notes the regional military administration.

### Remote Inspection Stalls: Satellite Images Haven't Been Updated Since Last Year

According to the program's rules, commissions in hazardous zones are required to conduct inspections remotely — using drones or satellite images. However, in practice, this mechanism operates unstably. As the Izium RMA pointed out, the Borova Military Administration sends letters to specialized departments requesting up-to-date data, yet State Space Agency satellite images for certain communities have not been updated since last year. This creates a situation where the commission cannot confirm the actual state of the object, and the citizen cannot receive either a positive or negative decision on their application. As a result, tens of thousands of appeals in frontline territories remain 'hanging' indefinitely.

### Practical Risks for Citizens: What Not to Do and How to Accelerate Review

Experts and government representatives highlight several practical risks that citizens are often unaware of. First, independent repair of damaged housing before the assessment commission's visit deprives the owner of the right to compensation: the commission records the current state of the object, and if the damage has already been eliminated, there are no grounds for payment. Second, the method of submitting an application affects processing times: filing through a ASC (administrative services center) allows fixing the date of appeal and reduces the risk of delayed review compared to an exclusively remote channel. Third, it is important to save all photos, videos, and documents confirming the fact of damage until the commission's inspection.

### Bill No. 11444: Equating Housing in Uninhabitable Zones to Destroyed Property

In response to systemic problems in frontline regions, Draft Law No. 11444 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, proposing to equate housing in areas officially recognized as uninhabitable to destroyed property. If the initiative is adopted, it will eliminate the need for commissions to travel out under shelling and allow issuing certificates for new housing without conducting a physical inspection. According to Olena Shulyak's estimate, the price of current inspections in frontline zones 'is quite high, because we are talking about the lives of commission members who have to travel to objects, often under shelling.' In Donetsk Oblast, in the Kostiantynivka community, a significant amount of work has already been carried out: 1,359 residential buildings — private and apartment blocks — have been officially recognized as destroyed, and 4,623 housing certificates have been issued to owners. The adoption of Draft Law No. 11444 could become a key step toward unblocking thousands of 'stalled' appeals in the country's most dangerous regions.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Без крыши и без денег: какие ловушки "єВідновлення" оставляют людей без жилья](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/dahu-i-groshey-ki-pastki-evidnovlennya-zalishayut-1793360193.html) - The primary source contains specific figures (273,169 families, 160.9 billion UAH), data from the Izium RMA dated 16.10.2026, comments from Olena Shulyak, and information about Draft Law No. 11444. All facts are attributed to official sources.

## FAQ

### How many families have already received compensation under the eRestoration program?

According to the Ministry of Restoration as of October 10, 2026, compensation was received by 273,169 families totaling 160.9 billion hryvnias: over 159,000 for damaged housing (15.5 billion UAH) and over 109,000 for destroyed housing (certificates worth 137.2 billion UAH).

### Why are applications for damaged housing compensation not accepted in frontline communities?

In active combat zones, repair payments are frozen by law. For example, in the Borova community of Kharkiv Oblast and in Kramatorsk (after status change in August 2026), applications for compensation for damaged objects are not accepted.

### What happens if I repair the house myself before the commission arrives?

Independent repairs before the assessment commission's visit deprive the owner of the right to compensation, because the commission records the current state of the object. If the damage has already been fixed, there are no grounds for payment.

### What does Draft Law No. 11444 propose?

Draft Law No. 11444 proposes equating housing in territories officially recognized as uninhabitable to destroyed property. This will remove the need for commissions to travel out under shelling and allow issuing certificates for new housing without physical inspection.

### How does remote inspection work in dangerous zones and why is it stalling?

In hazardous zones, commissions must inspect objects via drones or satellite images. However, in practice, the mechanism does not always work: State Space Agency satellite images for certain communities have not been updated since last year, preventing the confirmation of objects' actual condition.