One and a half billion and embezzlement: who will build shelters for Mykolaiv doctors

Mykolaiv is once again spending millions on shelter construction - without competition and with a familiar contractor. The company involved in the criminal case of embezzlement during school repairs received a new contract for the construction of a shelter in the regional hospital.

This was reported by Intent with reference to the Prozorro procurement system.

Mykolaiv planned to build a new civil defense facility on the territory of the Mykolaiv Regional Clinical Hospital. The expected cost of the work was UAH 28.9 million, and the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. The new shelter should serve as a reliable protection for patients and hospital staff in case of emergencies or military threats. The project was commissioned by the Department of Urban Planning, Architecture, Capital Construction and Development Projects of the Mykolaiv Oblast State Administration.

SCREENSHOT: Prozorro

The tender for construction was held without competition, as it was additional work to the previous contract with the same contractor. The winner was a local company, Antares-BUD LLC, which offered an amount that fully corresponded to the expected one.

According to the YouControl service, Antares-BUD LLC was registered in 2000. The company's co-owners are Volodymyr Tsutskarev and his daughter Yulia Filippova, both residents of Mykolaiv. The company's main specialization is the construction of residential and non-residential buildings for various purposes. It is worth noting that the company has repeatedly been the subject of journalistic and criminal investigations.

SCREENSHOT: Prozorro

In the period from 2009 to 2024, Antares-BUD received government contracts worth almost UAH 1.6 billion. Among the customers were utility companies and capital construction departments, as well as educational and medical institutions.

In Mykolaiv, the company has already fulfilled a number of large contracts. In particular, it won tenders for the construction of two hospital shelters for a total of UAH 145 million.

At the same time, the company is involved in criminal proceedings related to the possible embezzlement of budget funds during the overhaul of the roof of a school in the village of Lupareve. Since 2019, the company has been trying to repair the radiology building of the regional oncology center. The contract with the company was signed in 2020, and the state budget received 129 million hryvnias out of the required 138 million only in 2023.

SCREEN SHOT: YouControl

In June 2025, Mykolaiv held a tender for the construction of a new shelter at the regional children's hospital without an auction. The only bidder was Antares-BUD, which was selected as the contractor to carry out work worth more than 62 million hryvnias.

And in April, the contractor for the reconstruction of the regional children's hospital worth more than UAH 600 million was chosen again by this company. Despite the criminal proceedings, the company regularly receives large budget contracts in the region.

Анна Бальчінос