Head of Education Department in Mykolaiv reported that school meals this year have improved compared to last year: «Fewer mistakes»

School meals in Mykolaiv, archive photo from ‘NikVesti’

For the second year running, free hot meals are being provided for pupils in Years 1–11 in Mykolaiv. Hanna Lychko, head of the Mykolaiv City Council’s Education Department, stated that organising the process had been easier this year and that there had been fewer errors.

She reported this during a briefing on 16 September, according to NikVesti.

«Last year, as a city near the front line, we launched this initiative — free meals for pupils in Years 1 to 11. It was very difficult that year. This year is a little easier, as we’ve already gone through a certain stage of that process, working closely with the commission, the State Food and Consumer Service, and municipal production enterprises,» said Hanna Lychko.

According to her, the experience gained in the first year has enabled them to organise school meals more effectively.

«This year, we can say straight away that we’re making fewer mistakes,» noted Hanna Lychko.

As was the case last year, a municipal catering enterprise is responsible for organising school meals this year. Seven central kitchens have been set up in Mykolaiv, six of which are based in schools. Meals are also delivered to a further 25 educational establishments under a catering model.

However, not all schoolchildren are taking advantage of the free meals. According to Hanna Lychko, some parents have submitted written requests to opt out of the scheme.

«This year, too, we have a number of pupils who have opted out of the meals, even though the option is available. In other words, everyone is provided with meals. If anyone does not wish to have meals, their parents have submitted the relevant forms. Although we hope that they will eventually return to the meal scheme,» she said.

It should be noted that in Mykolaiv, at the start of the new academic year, a single complaint was received via the «Khvylka» chatbot regarding a problem with school meals at one of the lyceums. Following an investigation, it emerged that the situation had arisen due to human error.

As of May 2026, the «Khvylka: School Meals» chatbot had completed its trial period — 40 schools in the Mykolaiv region are now connected to the system. The trial ran until 19 May.

It should be noted that over 3,000 schoolchildren in Mykolaiv do not take advantage of free school meals, even though the city provides this opportunity for all pupils.

Catering for schoolchildren in Mykolaiv

Last December, NikVesti reported on how, in some schools in Mykolaiv, meals for pupils were being prepared by private companies, notably «Prossecco 8», which had been awarded a contract by the municipal enterprise. Parents reported that their children did not receive breakfast on Monday, and that the food was only delivered after lunch. The video showed company staff cooking porridge right under a tent on the street in the rain.

Following this, the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Mykolaiv region opened criminal proceedings for breaching the rules on preparing meals for pupils.

It was not until the evening that the mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, responded to the video, calling the situation unacceptable and ordering an investigation. City Councillor Tetiana Dombrovska described the scandal as a failure on the part of the authorities and called for the dismissal of Deputy Mayor Anatolii Petrov and the director of the Municipal Catering Organisation, Petro Vasheniak. Due to indications of breaches in the area of public procurement, the State Audit Service has launched an investigation into the procurement of catering services for schools.

It is known that the private contractor was selected following criticism of the quality of school meals. At the end of November, the KOP selected «Prossecco 8» to cater for some schools in December. During the open tender, the company was the sole participant and the winner, with the cost of the services amounting to 14,279,658 hryvnias.

According to YouControl, «Prossecco 8» LLC was registered in Mykolaiv in 2023 with a share capital of 1,000 hryvnias. The company is involved in catering, the hire of sports equipment, the provision of sports facilities and hairdressing services. The owner is Iryna Stoieva, who is also linked to «BBV 2021» Ltd. Her activities there were the subject of a court ruling in 2023 due to breaches of the rules governing the accounting of alcohol and cigarettes.