Members of the «Sanation» faction are asking Sienkevych to meet with the water utility staff and look into Telpis’s dismissal

The Mykolaiv City Council building. Illustrative photo: NikVesti

Members of the Sanation group have appealed to the mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, asking him to meet urgently with employees of the water utility and publicly clarify the situation surrounding the dismissal of the company’s technical director, Vasyl Telpis.

The appeal was made public by the group’s leader, Andrii Yermolaiev, according to NikVesti. He stated that the situation at the company requires immediate discussion.

«We stand with the staff of the Mykolaivvodokanal municipal utility and believe that the situation at the company requires immediate discussion,» the councillor noted.

The statement emphasises that the conflict could affect the stability of the city’s water infrastructure. The councillors propose setting up a working group and organising an open meeting between the mayor and the company’s employees to ease tensions and restore trust within the workforce.

The councillors also demand an official investigation into the dismissal of Vasyl Telpis. They note that there are differing accounts as to who exactly made the decision to dismiss him, and therefore ask the authorities to officially explain the reasons and legal grounds for such a decision.

«Following an examination of the circumstances surrounding the dismissal, taking into account Vasyl Telpis’s professional experience and the need to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the city’s water supply and drainage systems, a management decision should be taken regarding his reinstatement within the company or his involvement in relevant areas of activity,» the statement reads.

Appeal by deputies from the Sanation group to Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych

As a reminder, the issue of the dismissal of Technical Director Vasyl Telpis was raised during a meeting between water utility staff and the new CEO, Hennadii Iziumov, on 15 April. An audio recording of this conversation is in the possession of the editorial team at NikVesti.

Previously, NikVesti reported that Vasyl Telpis submitted his resignation on 3 April and had worked at the company for over 40 years.

As is known, the Supervisory Board of the municipal enterprise Mykolaivvodokanal is a collegial body that exercises strategic control over the company’s activities, approves key management decisions and financial plans, and evaluates the performance of the management. It does not interfere in operational activities, influences the appointment and evaluation of the director, but will not dismiss or hire staff at other levels.

Water utility gets new head: what is known about Iziumov

At the end of January 2026, a new general director of the municipal enterprise «Mykolaivvodokanal» was appointed in Mykolaiv. The post was taken up by Hennadii Iziumov — former head and chief engineer of water supply construction projects at the municipal enterprise «Mariupolvodokanal».

His appointment followed a competition in which 19 candidates took part. Prior to this, the company was headed by Borys Dudenko, who had managed the water utility since 2016 and died on 15 October 2025 following a long illness.

During the selection process, Hennadii Iziumov presented a plan for his first 100 days, which included assessing the company’s current state, stabilising operational processes, strengthening management discipline, establishing cooperation with the supervisory board and the city authorities, and preparing a medium-term development strategy.

Also in February, a list of performance indicators was approved for the Mykolaivvodokanal company, against which the company’s performance will be assessed in future.