A new city may appear in Ukraine: The Rada will consider changing the status of Avangard
Another city may appear in Ukraine. Draft resolution No. 15375 has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada to classify the settlement of Avangard in Odesa district of Odesa region as a city.
The initiative is based on the fact that Avangard already meets the legal criteria for a city — in terms of population size and type of development.
It is noted that the decision complies with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine "On the Procedure for Resolving Certain Issues of the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Ukraine."
According to the legislation, a city can be a settlement with predominantly compact development, with a total population of at least 10,000 people.
According to the Avangard settlement council, as of May 1, 2026, the settlement had 10,193 registered (declared) residents. At the same time, according to the State Migration Service of Ukraine as of June 10, 2026, 10,206 residents were registered in Avangard.
It is also noted that the settlement has predominantly compact multi-apartment residential development. The total area of the settlement is about 1,981 hectares.
Avangard is actively developing near Odesa
The explanatory note emphasizes that due to its proximity to Odesa, Avangard has become an important center for residential development, trade, transport, logistics, and services.
Due to active territorial development, large-scale residential construction is ongoing in the settlement. Over the past five years, the total area of commissioned multi-apartment residential buildings amounted to 237,963 square meters.
Modern residential complexes have already been formed in the settlement, construction of new residential and public facilities continues, and the social infrastructure network is expanding.
How the change of settlement status occurs
It is reminded that according to paragraph 29 of part one of article 85 of the Constitution of Ukraine, it is the Verkhovna Rada that has the authority to classify settlements as cities.
According to the Law of Ukraine "On the Procedure for Resolving Certain Issues of the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Ukraine," such a decision is made by the parliament upon submission by the Cabinet of Ministers based on a request from the relevant village, settlement, or city council.
In this case, the Avangard settlement council of Odesa district, Odesa region, appealed to the government with a request to grant the settlement city status.
History of the settlement Avangard
Avangard is the administrative center of the Avangard settlement territorial community of Odesa district.
Formally, it received settlement status on April 6, 1995, after the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a resolution assigning the name to the settlement of Ovidiopol district, Odesa region. However, people have continuously lived in this area since 1928, when a subsidiary farm for workers of the city of Odesa was created, which later became known as the state farm "Avangard."
The document also notes that there is no other city named "Avangard" in Odesa district.
The issue of classifying Avangard as a city was supported by the Avangard settlement council by decision No. 4365-VIII dated May 21, 2026.
Additionally, from June 12 to July 11, 2024, a public discussion of this initiative was held. According to the settlement council, almost 96% of participants supported the change of the settlement's status — out of 199 residents who took part in the discussion, 191 voted "for."
The draft resolution was also approved without comments by nationwide associations of local self-government bodies, including the Association of Ukrainian Cities, the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities, and the Association of United Territorial Communities.
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