Contracts worth 1.8 billion hryvnias have been signed to protect energy facilities in the Kyiv region; however, the readiness of certain protective structures stands at just 15–35%. This was stated by former Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, who accused Minister for Reconstruction Mykola Kalashnyk and the head of the State Agency for Reconstruction, Ivan Fedorov, of failing to adequately prepare critical infrastructure for Russian shelling. According to him, contracts worth billions were awarded without a tender to two companies that had previously been mentioned in criminal proceedings.
- Lutsenko stated that only 15–35% of the individual defensive structures were ready.
- Two companies were awarded contracts with a total value of around 1.8 billion hryvnias.
- The Ministry reported that 700 million hryvnias in advance payments had been made.
- Lutsenko is calling for an investigation into contractors and the use of public funds.
The protective structures remain unfinished, whilst the contractors have been awarded contracts worth billions
On the Lapin From Ukraine YouTube channel Yuriy Lutsenko presented documents which, he said, had been obtained by the Verkhovna Rada’s temporary investigative commission following an inspection of energy facilities in the Kyiv region.
The former Prosecutor General claims that numerous breaches have been uncovered at a number of building sites, and The readiness of the structures ranges from 15% to 35%. At some sites, despite the approaching completion dates, there were no workers at all.
According to Lutsenko, responsibility for the selection of contractors should lie with Mykola Kalashnik, who previously headed the Kyiv Regional Military Administration. It was during his tenure as head of the region that the relevant agreements were concluded.
The former Prosecutor General stated that two companies had been awarded contracts totalling around 1.8 billion hryvnias without competitive tendering.
Who has been awarded contracts to protect energy infrastructure?
According to UNIAN, the companies in question are likely to be «Consulting-Bud» Ltd and «U.B.C.» Ltd.
The first company owned by Lyubomyra Kozhushko, according to journalists’ reports, has been awarded 15 contracts to provide security for energy facilities in the Kyiv region, with a total value of around one billion hryvnias.
Kozhushko previously worked in the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada and was mentioned in documents relating to a criminal investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) into possible irregularities in the procurement of drones by the State Special Communications Service.
Another company, «U.B.C.», is also linked to criminal proceedings concerning the possible overcharging for public construction works.
At the same time, the mere existence of criminal proceedings does not prove that the current contracts are unlawful or that the companies’ management is involved in the embezzlement of public funds.
The ministry has acknowledged the rising cost of energy security
The day before, the Deputy Minister for Reconstruction Ruslan Oliinyk reported that the cost protection of priority substations The budget for the Kyiv region has risen from an initial 1.7–1.8 billion to 2.3 billion hryvnias. He attributed the increase to changes made to projects in line with new recommendations from the General Staff.
According to the official, the state has allocated around 1.1 billion hryvnias for the construction of the second level of protection, of which approximately 700 million hryvnias have already been paid to contractors as advance payments.
Oliinyk noted that construction is ongoing and that the pace of work has tripled following improved coordination with the regional authorities. He did not specify the exact percentage of completion for individual sites for security reasons.
Lutsenko called for an investigation into the use of public funds
The former Prosecutor General is calling for on-site inspections to be carried out, for the actual volume of work completed to be recorded, and for checks to be carried out on the prices of building materials, advance payments made and adherence to timetables.
He also expressed concern that, in the event of Russian strikes on unfinished facilities, it would be more difficult to determine the actual extent of the work carried out.
According to Lutsenko, law enforcement agencies should investigate possible instances of professional negligence and the misappropriation of public funds.
There are currently no official findings from the investigation regarding the unlawful use of the aforementioned 1.8 billion hryvnias. Nor has any public response been issued by Kalashnik and Fedorov specifically addressing Lutsenko’s new allegations.
