KYIV — Vadym Boichenko has been a mayor in exile for more than two years. His city remains in the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin two years after Moscow’s forces reduced it to rubble, but Boichenko is still fighting for its future.

“Mariupol is a military crime,” he told The Hill in central Kyiv, and the city’s residents “want to come back home. They strive for justice.”

Boichenko and his partners are vowing to rebuild Mariupol even better than before, with the hopes that this project will also create a roadmap on how other cities can rebuild once the war is over, whenever that might be.

Russia invaded Mariupol, a once-bustling coastal city on the Sea of Azov in southeastern Ukraine, in one of the earliest and deadliest offensives of the war, pounding Mariupol with missiles and moving in heavy tanks and infantry.

Its people held on for 86 days during Russia’s invasion in March 2022, including a famous stand at the Azovstal steel plant that ended in May. Across Mariupol, around 22,000 people died in the Russian attack.

Though Mariupol fell to Russian forces, it remains a symbol of Ukrainian resistance — and, for Boichenko and others, hope.

While there is no full assessment of damages or a master plan, Mariupol Reborn has proposed the basic outlines for rebuilding the city.

The architectural vision calls for more green spaces and parks, while slowly building up the density of housing and reconstructing public transportation. Mariupol’s drama theater — bombed by Russia, killing several hundred people seeking shelter inside — is also slated for a rebuild after public input on the plan. And the city will host memorials and museums for the fallen defenders.

The current revival plan includes 154 projects, 650 pieces of equipment and 7,500 personnel at the start. The cost of the project is expected to exceed $15 billion and could take up to 20 years, making assistance from donors and other nations crucial to rebuilding in what has been described as the largest city revival plan in Europe since World War II.

Boichenko, who has consulted European experts on rebuilding given their knowledge of reconstructing cities after World War II, presented an initial plan to a European Union advisory committee in April.

The mayor said he is confident in winning international support for this mission.

“Our obligation is the obligation of........

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