In Kherson, UNICEF-funded contracts went to companies with criminal records

Kherson has selected companies to supply equipment for the city's water supply system. These are pumping units for wells and an automated pumping station control system.

The Centerfor Public Investigations analyzed who exactly received these contracts and what risks they may pose.

In early January, the municipal utility company "Production Department of Water Supply and Sewerage of Kherson" announced a tender for the purchase of pumping units with UNICEF funds. The expected cost of the purchase was UAH 11.7 million, and bidders had until January 21 to submit their proposals. According to the terms, the contractor must deliver 14 pumping units by March 20, 2026.

Two companies took part in the tender: Equives LLC and Dynamo-Continent LLC. Equives LLC was chosen as the winner. According to YouControl, the company has been operating since 2011, is registered in Kyiv and has an authorized capital of UAH 648 thousand. The company has been participating in public procurement since 2018 and has received contracts for more than UAH 603 million, most of them in 2025. The company's main activity is the production of electric motors, generators and transformers.

SCREENSHOT: Prozorro

The company has been repeatedly mentioned in journalistic investigations for purchasing generators at prices significantly higher than market prices. The company is also involved in a criminal proceeding opened in 2018 over abuse of office. As part of the pre-trial investigation, investigators found that a number of companies, including Equives, received budget funds but did not perform the work in full or used materials that did not comply with the project documentation. The outcome of this case is currently unknown.

Separately, the utility company announced another procurement for an automated control system for the second water lift pumping station, also funded by UNICEF. The expected cost is UAH 11.4 million, and the equipment is to be delivered by May 20, 2026. This time, only one company, Dynamo-Continent LLC, participated in the tender and was selected as the winner.

SCREENSHOT: Prozorro

According to the YouControl monitoring system, the company was registered in 1999 in Mykolaiv, and its main activity is non-specialized wholesale trade. The company has been participating in public procurement since 2017 and has earned over UAH 87 million in tenders.

The company has not been featured in any journalistic investigations, but it has been mentioned in court materials. In particular, in 2013, according to a ruling of the Zhovtnevyi District Court of Dnipro, investigators received a court order to conduct a search as part of criminal proceedings regarding the reconstruction of sewage pumping stations. At that time, an expert examination found that the cost of the equipment was overstated by more than UAH 2.3 million.

As a result, contracts for water supply in Kherson worth more than UAH 20 million were awarded to companies with red flags in their history.

The Kherson Oblast Infrastructure Restoration Service signed a contract for additional work to restore the water supply system in Posad Pokrovsky. The contract was awarded to a company that had previously been involved in criminal proceedings for allegedly overcharging for work on the water supply system.

Анна Бальчінос