Mykolaiv Regional Guard: Controversies, Funding and Local Ties

Under the threat of occupation of Mykolaiv in 2022, the Mykolaiv Regional Guard was established to help the military and ensure security in the city. However, later its ranks were joined by people associated with local authorities who received a reservation from mobilization.

This was reported by Nikcenter.

Over time, the situation in the region changed: at the end of 2022, the threat to Mykolaiv decreased, but the funding for the "guard" only increased. Volunteers were replaced by people connected with local authorities. Among them were advisers to the head of the OVA, Vitaliy Kim, their relatives, and representatives of former law enforcement agencies. Thanks to the decision of the regional administration, the 'varta' employees received a reservation from mobilization.

In 2023, Mykola Pasichenko, a veteran of the 79th separate airborne assault brigade, decided to apply for a job with the Mykolaiv Regional Guard. After undergoing a medical examination and receiving a certificate of fitness, he applied to the company's management but was denied. He was not given a clear explanation. According to him, several other former soldiers tried to get a job with him, but they were also denied. At the same time, in 2024, 174 people were already working at the enterprise, among whom journalists found at least 22 people associated with local officials.

Oleh Rakhmilevych, an advisor to the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military District Administration, has been working for VARTA since 2022. Prior to that, he financed the Servant of the People party, which, coincidentally, is Kim's own political force. Mykola Kukuruza, who heads the Mykolaiv Regional Guard, is also an advisor to the head of the OVA. His son-in-law, Viktor Vlasenko, also received a job in this utility company and a reservation from mobilization.

Another employee of the "varta" is the 25-year-old son of the deputy head of the Regional Military Administration, Valentyn Haidarzhy, Maxim Haidarzhy. The young man used to work for another utility company, but after the start of the great war he joined the 'varta' and was booked.

The management of the MykolaivRegional Guard includes former law enforcement officers, including former Berkut commanders. The head of the company , Mykola Kukuruza, and his deputy, Volodymyr Butenko, both served in the special forces in the past. Another deputy, Artur Voitenko, was the deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Mykolaiv region and was subject to lustration in 2014.

In addition to the people associated with the head of the OVA, about twenty other people with ties to the authorities were found among the employees of the booked company. Among them are eleven current and former officials and their relatives, as well as five law enforcement officers and their family members.

Despite the criticism, Mykolaiv Regional Guard continues to receive generous funding and remains on the list of critical enterprises, which allows it to reserve employees from mobilization. At the same time, questions remain about the transparency of its activities and the principles of staffing.

Recently, Mykolaiv Regional Guard received additional funding of UAH 12 million and significantly expanded its activities. The updated charter provides not only for public safety and law enforcement monitoring, but also for repair and construction work, transportation services, legal advice, as well as activities in the areas of advertising, IT, and the environment. At the same time, the company was featured in four journalistic investigations, including two published by the Center for Public Investigations, which concerned the protection of fortifications.

Анна Бальчінос