Security for half a million a month: how the security of Mykolaiv railway station was assessed

Ukrzaliznytsia has ordered security for the railway station in Mykolaiv without holding a tender. The total value of the contract exceeds UAH 5 million.

The Center for Public Investigations analyzed whether this amount of money is justified for security.

JSC Ukrzaliznytsia signed an agreement with the Department of Security Police in Mykolaiv region worth UAH 5 million 256 thousand. The contract provides for the protection of the territory and facilities of the Odesa-Holovna production unit of the Station Company branch, including the Mykolaiv station, until December 31, 2026.

Terms of the contract

Under the terms of the contract, 26,280 hours of security services are to be provided during the year. If we divide the total amount by the number of hours, the average cost is about UAH 200 per hour.

SCREENSHOT: Prozorro

For a continuous 24/7 security regime, this is about 16.8 thousand hryvnias per month for one post or about 504 thousand hryvnias per month for the entire facility.

The procurement was made without a tender based on Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1178, which allows for simplified procedures during martial law. Thus, on January 22, 2026, a framework agreement for the protection of railway stations and other facilities was signed between the Department of Security Police in Mykolaiv region and the Vokzalna Kompaniya branch of Ukrzaliznytsia. This agreement stipulates that security services can only be provided by state entities - security police units - and not by private companies.

Since the Kyiv security police unit does not have sufficient resources to work outside the capital, a territorial department was involved in the implementation of the contract.

How much does security usually cost in Ukraine?

To assess whether the price is too high, the CPR compared it to market prices. According to OSINT's open data, physical security services from commercial companies usually cost from 30 to 45 thousand hryvnias per month for one post in 24/7 mode, depending on the conditions and level of equipment.

SCREENSHOT: Prozorro

Some firms offer security for offices or warehouses in the range of 35-50 thousand hryvnias per month for a standard post, while basic commercial offers can start at around 30 thousand hryvnias. At the same time, remote security without a permanent physical presence is much cheaper and can cost only a few hundred hryvnias per month.

The comparison shows that station security under the Ukrzaliznytsia contract is more expensive than basic offers for private facilities. At the same time, this comparison has some caveats. First, we are talking about a strategic infrastructure facility in a time of war, where security guards perform not only the function of physical presence but also respond to threats and interact with other police units. Secondly, state structures operate at different rates and have additional costs - for logistics, equipment, administration, and social guarantees for staff.

Is this too much or too little for the state?

For a contract worth 5.25 million hryvnias and 26,280 hours of security, the average price is about 200 hryvnias per hour. This corresponds to the level of average or slightly higher tariffs in the security services market, especially for facilities with more complex security requirements. For the scale of the state budget, this amount is not critical, but it is more than UAH 5 million in security costs for just one station over the course of a year.

ILLUSTRATION: AI

Cheaper options can be found in the private sector, but they usually do not take into account the increased risks, special training of personnel, and requirements for the protection of strategic facilities. As a result, we can preliminarily conclude that the tariff of UAH 200-230 per hour for public procurement of security services is now typical for high-security facilities and includes not only physical duties but also a wider range of responsibilities and expenses.

Also in January, Mykolaiv awarded a tender for almost five hundred million to a municipal enterprise for transportation services. The agreement for tram and trolleybus transportation services was signed with Mykolaivelectrotrans. The justification states that this company is the only provider of electric transportation services in the city.

Анна Бальчінос