12 January 2026
(PHOTO: Kherson Art Museum)
The Kherson Prosecutor's Office insists on terminating the contract with the Odesa-based firm due to unfulfilled work during the restoration of the museum and alleged misappropriation of budget funds. The company, which has received more than UAH 370 million in public tenders, is already involved in several criminal cases, and its director is hiding from the investigation.
The Center for Public Investigations found out what "red flags" the company's history contains and at which facilities it was accused of embezzlement.
According to a ruling of the Economic Court in Odesa Oblast, the prosecutor's office appealed to the court to terminate the contract with Odesmiskbud, an Odesa-based company, for uncompleted work during the restoration of the Oleksiy Shovkunenko Kherson Art Museum and misappropriation of state budget funds. According to the investigation, out of more than UAH 32 million transferred to the contractor, only UAH 4 million worth of work was actually completed, and the remaining UAH 28.4 million could have been misappropriated by the company's director.
The court opened the proceedings and scheduled a preparatory hearing for February 4, 2026. The defendant must provide written and electronic evidence, expert opinions, and witness statements.
It turned out that the work was carried out as part of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy 's Big Construction program. The company's director , Malyarov, is currently hiding from the investigation. It was also reported that he is a Russian citizen.
According to the CPR, Odesmiskbud is already involved in several criminal proceedings. In particular, in 2022, it was entrusted with the repair of shelters at Odesa School #89, where embezzlement was also detected. Currently, the company's director, Volodymyr Maliarov, is hiding from the investigation and is charged with misappropriation of property and money laundering, which is punishable by imprisonment for 7-12 years with confiscation of property.
The company was founded in 2016 with a capital of UAH 10 thousand, and its main activity is the construction of residential and non-residential facilities. The company has earned more than UAH 373 million from public tenders, most of it in 2021. The main customers were municipal and state structures of Odesa and Mykolaiv, including education departments, security police, and municipal institutions.
Previously, the company has been repeatedly featured in journalistic investigations due to dubious repairs and inflated prices. In Odesa, Odesmiskbud LLC was strengthening the foundation of the Dyvosvit children's art building, but the work was not completed, and after repeated contracts, the contract amounts only increased.
In August 2025, the Peresypskyi District Court of Odesa granted law enforcement officers permission to detain the company's director , Malyarov, for providing false information about the scope and cost of work during the overhaul of the shelter for Odesa School No. 40.
According to the investigation, the company and its management are responsible for the failure to fulfill government contracts and embezzlement of budget funds, and court proceedings will determine the future of the contract and the possible liability of the contractor.
A contractor was also selected to protect the critical infrastructure facility of the energy sector in Kherson region. The company was previously accused of embezzling budget funds during the restoration of other regions.
Анна Бальчінос