The restoration service declined to disclose the cost of repairing the Varvarivsky Bridge

The Infrastructure Restoration and Development Service in Mykolaiv Oblast did not provide journalists with information regarding the costs of repairing the Varvarivsky Bridge, the scope of work completed, or the project’s funding for 2026. Instead, officials advised them to look for the data on the E-data portal.

According to MykVisti, the publication’s editorial team sent an information request to the Restoration Service asking how much money has been spent on the repair of the Varvarivsky Bridge since 2024, what percentage of the work has already been completed, and how much is planned to be allocated for the project in 2026.

In their response to the request, officials did not provide specific figures regarding the use of budget funds, noting only that such information is available on the E-data Unified Web Portal for the Use of Public Funds.

PHOTO: MykVisti

The Restoration Service also did not specify the project’s completion percentage. The response states that repair work is being carried out in accordance with the schedule attached to the contract.

Furthermore, the agency did not specify the amount of funding allocated for the continuation of repairs on the Varvarivsky Bridge in 2026.

"Expenditure amounts are determined in accordance with the requirements of budget legislation and available financial resources," reads the response signed by Ivan Chausenko, Deputy Head of the Restoration Service.

At the same time, the Institute of Mass Information considers this response to be unlawful. According to experts, the information administrator cannot limit itself to referring to open sources if it possesses the requested data, but must provide a substantive response to the questions posed.

Recently, Intent reported that nearly 89 million hryvnias for the maintenance of the Pivdenno-Buzkyi Bridge in Mykolaiv could be awarded to EDBK,owned by Muslim Keloev. The company entered the tender without any competitors, despite numerous journalistic investigations, court cases, and mentions in criminal proceedings.

According to the YouControl analytical system, the company was founded in 2008 in Donetsk under the name "Altmost." Its authorized capital at the time was 51,500 hryvnias. Currently, the firm is registered in Vasylkiv, Kyiv Oblast,and is owned by Muslim Keloev. The firm’s co-founders include the “Eurotransmosty” consortium and “Paid” LLC. The group’s main areas of activity are fuel trading and road construction.

EDBK began actively securing government contracts in 2018. The company recorded its highest profits in 2025—over three billion hryvnias in revenue. In total,the value of the company’s government contracts has already exceeded 11 billionhryvnias.

In addition, the company has also been involved in criminal proceedings.According to a ruling by the Haisyn DistrictCourt of Vinnytsia Oblast, the company’s request to lift the seizure of equipment—which investigators believe was used in the illegal extraction of minerals—was denied.

This includes Ford Cargo and Iveco Trakker dump trucks, as well as a CAT excavator. According to law enforcement, this equipment was used for the extraction and transportation of raw materials.

Андрій Колісніченко