A community in Pivdennoukrainsk is to spend ₴4.2 million on a shelter for a secondary school where an investigation is underway into the misappropriation of funds for roof repairs

Entrance to the shelter. Photo for illustrative purposes from the NikVesti archive

A community in southern Ukraine plans to spend 4.2 million hryvnias on routine repairs to the anti-radiation shelter at the Kostiantynivka Gymnasium. This is a basement area of the school, which is to be fitted out for use as a shelter.

This is evidenced by procurement data in the Prozorro system, reports NikVesti.

The procurement is being carried out by the Construction and Repairs Department of the South Ukrainian City Council. The estimated cost of the works was 4 million 525.7 thousand hryvnias excluding VAT.

Procurement data in the Prozorro system

Funding for the refurbishment is to come from two sources — the state budget and the budget of the Pivdennoukrask City Territorial Community.

Under the terms of the contract, three main rooms in the shelter will be renovated, along with the food and water storage areas, the corridor, the electrical distribution room and the staircase.

The contractor is to restore the interior finishes of the walls, ceilings and floors, replace and install new doors, and repair the electrical lighting.

The project also includes the refurbishment of the toilet facilities and the fitting out of a separate toilet block with handrails for people with reduced mobility.

In addition, the renovation project includes work on the water supply and drainage systems, as well as the installation of sanitary fittings and an 80-litre water heater. Externally, plans include repairing the kerb, partially restoring the plinth cladding, and repairing the porch and the roof over the basement in the inner courtyard.

Three bidders submitted tenders for the contract. The contracting authority selected sole trader Orlov as the winner with a bid of 4 million 249 thousand hryvnias.

However, his bid was not the lowest. «Alfabud» Construction and Installation Company Ltd offered to carry out the work for 4,226,000 hryvnias — approximately 23,000 hryvnias cheaper. However, the contracting authority rejected this bidder’s bid due to non-compliance with the tender documentation requirements. The parties are now due to sign a contract with the designated winner.

It is worth noting that the repair of the shelter is being commissioned by the grammar school where roof repairs were previously carried out. Following those repairs, the police opened criminal proceedings regarding the possible misappropriation of funds through abuse of office.

The criminal proceedings were registered as early as 30 September 2025. The court ruling states that the investigation is examining a number of contracts for repair works in educational and pre-school institutions within the Pivdennoukrainsk community.

Separately, law enforcement officers are examining two contracts with a sole trader for roof repairs at the Kostiantynivka Gymnasium.

The first contract was signed on 12 May 2025 for 4.247 million hryvnias excluding VAT. Later, through a supplementary agreement, the value was reduced to 3.325 million hryvnias.

Three months later, on 12 August, another contract was signed with the same sole trader for additional work on the same site — worth 1.55 million hryvnias excluding VAT.

In total, under the two contracts, the client transferred 4.876 million hryvnias to the contractor.

According to the investigation, questions arose, in particular, regarding the cost of the insulation. Law enforcement officers also drew attention to the volume of labour costs claimed.

The court authorised an audit of the contractor’s bank transactions to establish where the public funds had actually gone; the prosecution applied to the court for access to the sole trader’s banking information. On 14 September 2026, the investigating judge granted this application.

Law enforcement officers gained access to information regarding the entrepreneur’s accounts for the whole of 2025, including cash flows, counterparties and the purpose of payments, as well as cash withdrawals.

It was previously reported that the entrepreneur from Pivdennoukrainsk is suspected of embezzling over 260,000 hryvnias of public funds during the renovation of a shelter at one of the lyceums.