Chernihiv is preparing for a major reconstruction of its water supply system: the municipal enterprise "Chernihivvodokanal" has signed a contract worth 22.3 million hryvnias with the consortium "UTB". By May 2025, plans are in place to upgrade a section with a diameter of 500 mm on Zhukovskogo Street. Everything sounds great, but there are some questions.

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The largest portion of the budget is allocated for pipes – 4.1 million hryvnias, writes "Our Money". The price per meter of polyethylene pipes has reached 8020 UAH, while Ukrainian manufacturers sell them significantly cheaper: starting from 4942 UAH per meter.

Thus, the overpayment solely on pipes amounts to 38%!

But that's not all. Cast iron inserts were purchased for 134,042 UAH each, although similar products can be found online for three times less – at 39,691 UAH. The story is similar with concrete blocks: they were bought for 3144 UAH each, while market prices start at 2343 UAH.

The total overpayment on these items exceeds 1.24 million hryvnias. With this money, it would be possible to buy 72 FPV kamikaze drones, which are currently in high demand at the front.

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Why is the contractor "without competition"?

The tender took place on the second attempt. Another participant with a lower bid of 21.68 million UAH applied for the first competition, but it was rejected. The reason given was that the pipes allegedly did not meet the standards. As a result, the contract went to the consortium "UTB", which has already received contracts worth 359.93 million UAH over the past two years.

The consortium is linked to Chernobyl firms and major construction players, including the corporation "Ukrtransstroy". Among the participants are well-known entrepreneurs, including lawyer Sergey Spodin, whose group owns a number of assets, from shopping centers to hotels in central Kyiv.

Conclusion

The Chernihiv authorities talk about modernization and infrastructure improvement, but the details of the tender raise questions. High prices, lack of competition, and the contractor's connections with large business groups all make one wonder where the budget millions are actually being spent.