A Ukrzaliznytsia official from the Odesa region demanded a bribe to connect electricity

A former official at Ukrzaliznytsia asked for $1,000 in exchange for helping connect a house to the power grid. He received the money and is now facing trial.

This was reported by the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the investigation, in 2025, the owner of a non-residential property approached the deputy head of one of the departmentsof the “Odesa Railway” regional branch. He wanted to connect the building to the power grid, which is managed by the railway.

PHOTO: Press Service of the National Police in Odesa Region

To do this, it was necessary to obtain technical specifications, prepare and approve the project, formalize the commissioning of the line, and connect the facility to the grid.

The former official claimed he could help resolve these issues through his connections among railway employees. He asked for $1,000 for his services.

PHOTO: Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office

Later, the men met at a restaurant in Kryzhanivka, where they agreed on the details and the transfer of money. In June of this year, the former official received the agreed-upon amount at a gas station in the Peresypsky District of Odesa.

According to the regional National Police press service, law enforcement officers detained him after he received the funds. 

Earlier, the court imposed a pretrial detention order on the man, with the option of posting bail of nearly 1 million hryvnias. The suspect exercised his right to bail.

The former official has been charged with abuse of influence combined with extortion.

The indictment has now been submitted to the court. If found guilty, the man faces up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property. 

Ірина Глухова