08 June 2026
(PHOTO: enovosty.com)
In Mykolaiv region, a contract worth over UAH 625 million was awarded without competition. The contractor was a company involved in several criminal proceedings for alleged misappropriation of budget funds.
TheCenter for Public Investigations found out the details of the tender and what the history of the contractor company hid.
The Infrastructure Restoration and Development Service in Mykolaiv Oblast signed a contract for the reconstruction of a fuel and energy sector facility. The expected cost of the work is UAH 625.58 million, and the project is scheduled to be completed by February 2027.
The procurement procedure was conducted without competition. The customer took advantage of the provisions of a government decree that allows entering into direct contracts for the construction, reconstruction and protection of critical infrastructure in the fuel and energy sector during martial law. Funding will come from the state budget.
The contract was awarded to Ukrtransmist LLC, which agreed to perform the work at the full expected cost of UAH 625.58 million.
According to the YouControl analytical system, Ukrtransmist LLC was registered in Kyiv in 2006. The authorized capital of the company is almost UAH 9 million, and its main activity is the construction of bridges and tunnels. Previously, Mykola Karnakov was among the company's founders, and Iryna Filyaeva was the director. Currently,Iryna Karnakova is listed as the owner.
Since 2017, the company has received government contracts worth more than UAH 9.4 billion. The most successful year was 2023, when the volume of contracts exceeded UAH 4.5 billion. Among the largest customers in recent years are the Infrastructure Restoration and Development Service in Mykolaiv region, Kyivavtoshlyakhmist and Kyivavtodor.
At the same time, the company is involved in several criminal proceedings. For example, the decision of the Central District Court of Mykolaiv of November 17, 2025, states that officials of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, the State Agency for Infrastructure Restoration and Development, and restoration services in Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Odesa regions could have acted in collusion with representatives of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.
According to the investigation, the scheme participants allegedly used the connections of a former advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine and interacted with officials of the State Tax Service and its territorial divisions.
Court documents mention Ukrtransmist LLC and Rostdorstroy among the companies that could have been involved in the scheme. According to the head of the NGO Non-Stop, an organized group was probably created whose activities could have been aimed at misappropriating budget funds during the implementation of tender projects in three southern regions.
Another case is mentioned in the decision of the Kyiv Court of Appeal of February 16, 2026. According to law enforcement officers, officials of Kyivavtodor and Ukrtransmist LLC may have been involved in a scheme to misappropriate funds allocated for the overhaul of the overpass at the intersection of Luhova and Bohatyrska streets in Kyiv. The value of the relevant contract, concluded in July 2024, exceeded UAH 284.8 million.
The investigation believes that during the performance of the work, the prices for construction materials could have been significantly inflated, which created the possibility of obtaining excessive profits at the expense of the budget. Law enforcement officers also assume that part of the funds could have been withdrawn through a network of controlled entrepreneurs who were part of the so-called transit and conversion group.
According to the investigation, the actual owner and deputy director of Ukrtransmist LLC were responsible for interacting with representatives of Kyivavtodor, general management of the company and distribution of financial flows. They also have a role in creating the conditions for the contract and controlling the flow of funds.
The director of the company, according to law enforcement officers, coordinated the work of subcontractors, the execution of acts of completion and accounting support.
In May, a company from Mykolaiv was awarded a contract worth more than UAH 456 million in Odesa region to protect critical infrastructure without competition. The company is involved in a criminal case over possible overpricing of the work.
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