Substantiation of priority directions of inclusive development of rural areas of Ukraine on the basis of economic assessment

Relevance of the research topic. The article is devoted to solving the problems of rural development in the conditions of war on the basis of their typology and economic assessment of environmental factors, vectors of influence, level of development, efficiency of organization and management.Statement of the problem. Rural areas and the population have suffered significant losses due to economic, demographic and social challenges. Modern strategies for sustainable development require new approaches to overcome the problems of declining investment, population and labor migration. An important aspect is inclusion, which promotes equal access to public goods for all segments of the population. This can help restore social justice, promote the cohesion of rural communities and bring young people back to the countryside.Setting the goal and objectives of the study. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the priority areas of inclusive rural development on the basis of an economic assessment of their condition and differentiation of measures, tools, sources and mechanisms based on its results.The research methodology includes an analysis of modern approaches to sustainable rural development with a focus on inclusive development. Methods of system analysis are used to identify key issues of rural areas and social inclusion. Comparative analysis is also used to assess existing sustainable development practices and forecast their effectiveness, expert surveys to identify priorities and development tools, and statistical methods to study demographic and economic trends.Results of the study. It has been found that rural areas can be grouped for management purposes, taking into account various factors of influence, primarily by the criteria of location, position relative to cities, population, settlement network, specialization and efficiency of agriculture as a complex industry, demographic and environmental situation. Accordingly, rural areas near large and medium–sized cities have more favorable conditions, and peripheral areas have the least favorable conditions. However, the catastrophic impact of the war has led to the need to distinguish between occupied, de–occupied, demarcation zones, frontline, and border areas with Russia. The economic assessment of the damage caused and new problems and threats indicates an urgent need to strengthen the inclusion of socio–economic development due to the large number of rural population affected by the war. If carried out in almost every rural area, it will allow for effective targeted inclusive development measures with appropriate tools. At the same time, they have both tactical and strategic levels of focus. In the future, it will be crucial to substantiate the priority areas of inclusive development and its financial and investment sources, to focus state support on small and medium–sized producers and owners of rural households, and to attract international support.Scope of the results. The results of the study can be used to develop strategies for sustainable rural development aimed at increasing social inclusion and economic stability. They can also serve as a basis for improving public policy to support rural communities and attract young people to rural areas.Conclusions. The military aggression has exacerbated existing and created new problems for rural areas, especially in the combat zone, border areas, and de–occupied territories. To justify sustainable development priorities with an emphasis on inclusion, it is necessary to economically assess each territory or their types, taking into account the state before the war and its consequences. The strategy should include government support, public–private partnerships, international grants, social entrepreneurship, agribusiness responsibility, and post–war reparations.