The Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Territorial Typology of Ukraine’s Regions under the Influence of External and Internal Threats to Their Viability and Socioeconomic Development

The issue of classifying territories by types and grouping them according to characteristics remains a key consideration in the implementation of regional policy. The differences among Ukrainian regions have been shaped over a long period under the influence of objective factors, including: the uniqueness of natural conditions, geographical features, the consequences of historical events, traditions, culture, and so on, which further affect the level of development and the complexity of territorial economic sectors, the formation of logistical and infrastructural capacities, characteristics of demographic and social resources, and the potential for utilizing environmental advantages of the territories, among other aspects. At the same time, problems related to territorial imbalance, insufficient resource capacity, and external and internal influencing factors create conditions for the emergence of various types of challenges and threats to the vitality of regions and territories, as well as to the sustainability and resilience of their development. The state of prolonged war and its consequences have led to an expansion of regional problems, primarily contingent upon the security level necessary for the existence and functioning of regions. They have also broadened the spectrum of external and internal challenges and threats affecting the livelihoods of regions and territories and their socioeconomic development sectors. Therefore, these circumstances demand greater attention to spatial development management, including prevention and identifying solutions, establishing priority development directions, and selecting appropriate functional tools for implementation, among other measures. Particular attention should be paid to the issues of socioeconomic development under the influence of factors related to the geographical location of territories concerning the State border, particularly with russia and belarus, the proximity to active combat operations, the presence of potential dangers etc., which are defined by varying levels of problems, challenges, and threats for different types of Ukrainian territories. The article analyzes and synthesizes theoretical and practical approaches to the classification of types of regions and territories according to various criteria, evaluates the impact of external and internal threats caused by the ongoing war on the formation of territorial typology in Ukraine, and also substantiates the advisability of distinguishing different types of territories within a region according to the levels of security threats, taking into account the distance of territories from the border with russia (or belarus) or from the front line, where active combat operations are ongoing (or could potentially occur).