Ruslan Kukharuk presents plans for the region's development at the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra
The Governor of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra, Ruslan Kukharuk, answered journalists' questions about the budget, social support, economic development and infrastructure as part of the anniversary edition of the "Information World of Yugra" forum. The head of the region thanked media representatives for their work and emphasised that journalists help tell the stories of people, achievements and everyday life in municipalities.
"I am very pleased that many news stories are being broadcast on federal channels and published on federal social media pages, among other outlets. It is always gratifying when these are positive stories showing how hard the people of Yugra are working in these difficult times and the hard-won results they are achieving," noted Ruslan Kukharuk.
Yugra plans to allocate 65% of expenditure in its 2027 budget to social services and support. Priorities include support for large and young families, older people, participants in the special military operation and their loved ones. Considerable attention will also be devoted to the national projects "Family" and "Infrastructure for Life".
Yugra has 36 regional support measures for participants in the special military operation and their families, with around 80 additional benefits available at the municipal level. The region has six rehabilitation centres where prostheses and other orthopaedic devices are manufactured. More than 200 specialists have been trained to support veterans and their loved ones.
An important priority is helping veterans return to active lives and employment. More than 80% of veterans who contacted the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation have found work. Programmes for vocational retraining, entrepreneurship support and adaptive sport are being developed. In particular, participants in the "Your Own Business" ("SVOy Business") programme can receive up to 2 million roubles to start their own business.
Since 2019, residents have been relocated from more than 1.2 million square metres of unsafe housing in Yugra. The programme covering buildings declared unsafe before 1 January 2017 was completed ahead of schedule in 2024. Housing conditions have improved for 55,000–56,000 people.
The next stage will cover buildings declared unsafe between 2017 and 2022. Preliminary estimates suggest that the programme will include around 37,000–38,000 residents, with total funding of approximately 80 billion roubles.
Residents also continue to be relocated from flats where phenol concentrations exceed permissible levels, provided that expert reports confirm the presence of the harmful substance and that the accommodation is unsafe.
Yugra plans to complete the design documentation for a bridge across the Ob near the settlement of Andra by the end of 2026. The project includes around 30 kilometres of access roads and is expected to improve transport links between Arctic territories and the rest of the country.
"The region will not be able to carry out a project like this on its own; federal support is needed. The most important thing is that we have moved from a dream to a concrete document," noted Ruslan Kukharuk.
The region will also continue its cooperation with the Tyumen Region and Yamal. Under the "Cooperation" programme, a maternity building is being constructed in Nyagan and a new school in Sovetsky. Joint areas of work include transport accessibility, family support and holiday provision for children from large families and the families of participants in the special military operation.
Oil production remains the foundation of Yugra's economy: the region accounts for almost 40% of the oil produced in Russia. At the same time, the autonomous area is developing new technological fields, including those related to the extraction of hard-to-recover hydrocarbon reserves.
A federal project involving Gazprom Neft, the Russian Ministry of Energy, the Russian Ministry of Finance and the Government of Yugra has achieved 90% import substitution for fixed assets used in extraction. In 2027, the region plans to introduce a new support measure for developing technology test sites with hard-to-recover oil reserves. The governor estimates that it could attract around 60 billion roubles in investment over the coming years.
Yugra has also joined the Tyumen Oil and Gas Cluster, which brings together more than 200 companies in the fuel and energy sector. This cooperation will help strengthen collaboration between oil producers and oilfield service companies and introduce domestic technological solutions.
Another promising area is the digital economy. The region is considering hosting new data centres. The governor highlighted Yugra's well-developed energy infrastructure as one of its advantages.
"Yugra has always been, remains and will continue to be an oil-producing region. At the same time, the region will develop new areas, including digital technologies," emphasised Ruslan Kukharuk.
The press conference also addressed the development of supplementary education for children, support for young talent and Yugra's participation in rebuilding Makeyevka and Avdeyevka, the territories in Donbass it supports. The region will continue to help restore residential buildings, roads, educational facilities and cultural venues. The agreement on implementing joint projects remains in force until 2030.
Concluding the meeting, Ruslan Kukharuk noted the importance of the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra as a venue for professional dialogue, business projects, events and cultural initiatives.
"The National Centre RUSSIA is a place that tells the story of the past, present and future. It is a place of pride," the governor emphasised.
Ruslan Kukharuk also invited journalists to continue working together and to submit residents' questions for the forthcoming live Q&A session, scheduled for late November.
"You act as intermediaries and gather a large number of questions, topics and issues that matter to residents. The questions you send in from your residents, your readers and your audiences will certainly be raised too," noted the head of the region.
For news about the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra, visit its official accounts on VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, MAX and Telegram.
