Who and how is profiting from war-inflicted destruction

Following the destruction caused by the war, enormous sums are allocated for the restoration of Ukrainian cities. However, according to investigations, a significant portion of these funds ends up in the pockets of politicians and businesspeople close to power.

Tender scandal in Borodyanka

One of the most high-profile cases has been the conflict over the budgets for the restoration of Borodyanka. According to media reports, political circles linked to former members of the Opposition Platform — For Life party are fighting for control over the funding. Among the key figures are Deputy Vitaliy Bort, former mayor of Irpin Volodymyr Karplyuk, and former adviser to the head of the Kyiv Oblast Administration, Ruslan Kravchenko.

Companies linked to Karplyuk, including “Build Life”, “Veterans of Ukraine” and “Aston Lux”, received over 500 million hryvnia for infrastructure restoration, but work at the sites has not yet begun. In addition, another 190 million hryvnia was allocated to the firm “BK Kyiv Facade”, linked to businessman Mykhailo Podvysotskyi, a partner of Oleksandr Onyshchenko — an adviser to the former head of the Kyiv Oblast Administration. The contracts were signed precisely during his tenure.

Restoration of Irpin: mysterious contractors

Among the companies that received state funds for the restoration of Kyiv Oblast, “Navitekhserwis” stands out. The firm received nearly 8 million hryvnia for the major repair of buildings, and since 2022, its contracts have reached 87 million hryvnia. Notably, the company previously engaged in the supply of goods, but in 2023 it abruptly changed its business profile to construction.

According to investigations, Denys Komarnytskyi, known as the shadow curator of the capital’s construction sector, may be behind the firm’s activities. Despite his public denials, the selection of contractors and the nature of budget utilisation raise serious suspicions.

Podil Bridge: a symbol of corruption

The Podil Bridge in Kyiv is one of the longest-running and most scandalous infrastructure projects. Recently, the prosecution service handed a case to court against the management of LLC “Eko-Bud-Trade”, which is responsible for implementing the project. The investigation established that the cost of renting special equipment was inflated by 24 million hryvnia.

As early as 2017, the general contractor concluded a contract with the State Enterprise “Directorate for the Construction of Transport Structures”, but since then, the project has repeatedly been the subject of criminal investigations. In 2023, acceptance certificates for the work were signed, but an audit revealed significant financial violations.

The prosecution accuses the contractor of embezzling 36 million hryvnia by inflating the cost of renting construction equipment. The case involves individuals close to Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, including his long-time partner Komarnytskyi, who is called the de facto owner of “Eko-Bud-Trade”.

According to investigation materials, the Main Investigative Department of the Security Service of Ukraine is conducting proceedings under Part 1 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. However, despite the criminal cases, the stolen funds have not been returned to the budget, and the city has not received the promised infrastructure.

While officials profit from tenders, residents await assistance

Multi-billion hryvnia budgets allocated for the restoration of the country often end up in corrupt schemes. While tenders are distributed among affiliated companies, people who have lost their homes are still waiting for real assistance.