25 September 2026, 13:32
The contractor objected to the court's ruling on corruption in connection with a cover-up in Kherson
Ця стаття також доступна українською
PHOTO: mvs.gov.ua
In Kherson, the director of a contracting company is suspected of embezzling more than 8 million hryvnias during the construction of a radiation shelter on the grounds of School No. 41. According to investigators, false information regarding the scope of work, materials, and their cost was included in the work completion reports.
The Center for Public Investigations examined the details of the case.
In September 2024, the Capital Construction Department of the Kherson City Council signed a contract with Budpostach-STSV LLC for the construction of a protective structure for School No. 41. The cost of the work amounted to nearly 89.9 million hryvnias.
According to the investigation, between February and October 2025, the company’s director inflated the quantities of work and materials in the certificates of completion. Specifically, this involved rebar, concrete, and structural elements which, according to the case files, may not have actually been installed.
According to law enforcement officials, the largest amounts of overbilling were found in several certificates. Specifically, one report indicated an overstatement of more than 3.36 million hryvnias, another more than 2.03 million, and the report for April 2025 nearly 2.98 million hryvnias.
In total, expert analyses determined that the cost of the work performed and materials used was overstated by 8.6 million hryvnias. Investigators believe that the client unjustifiably transferred this exact amount to the contractor.
According to YouControl, Budpostach-STSV LLC was registered in Ivano-Frankivsk in 2015. Oleksandr Novokhatskyi is the company’s director and co-owner. Since 2023, the company has been one of the main contractors for the Kherson authorities and, according to YouControl, has received government contracts worth more than 405 million hryvnias.
Details of the case, the amounts of overbilling, and information about the contractor can be found on the Center for Public Reforms website:Overbilling of 8 million was discovered at a shelter for a school destroyed by Russia in Kherson
As reported by Intent, in April 2025, the company Budpostach-STSV LLC was awarded a contract worth over 90 million hryvnias to build an underground school in Kherson.
Novokhatsky is also implicated in criminal proceedings regarding the acceptance of a bribe for influencing officials at “Khersonteploenergo.” According to investigators, in exchange for facilitating the contract’s conclusion, they demanded a “kickback” amounting to 10% of the contract’s value.
