Millions of losses in education: how school construction in Kherson region became a corruption trap

Despite the fact that in 2025, three shelter schools were officially completed and opened in Kherson region, children are still forced to study remotely. More than UAH 200 million of budget funds were allocated for the construction of these facilities, but none of the institutions are actually functioning today.

This is stated in the material of the Crimean Center for Investigative Journalism.

The material notes that due to the constant threat of repeated shelling, the reconstruction of traditional schools and kindergartens in the Kherson region proved to be inappropriate, so the authorities chose a strategy of building underground institutions. One of these open schools was even visited by Vice Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who returned to her government duties after a routine inspection of classrooms and a photo session with children.

The main contractor that gained access to budget funding for these facilities was Kramatorsk-based Autointerstroy LLC, headed by Konstantin Seleznev. The company's history is quite specific: founded in 2005, it initially specialized in car sales, but later changed its profile to construction. The company's greatest success came in 2019, when it became a favorite of Pavlo Kyrylenko, the then head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration.

Last year, this company won tenders for the construction of 'underground schools', but later it was discovered that the estimates were systematically inflated. In particular, the cost of certain construction materials exceeded the market price by 90%. Despite the fact that civic activists filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office, the investigation into the case is still ongoing.

Катерина Глушко