17.03.2025
Declaration
Fortification
Investigations
Tenders
What is the head of Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration Ivan Fedorov hiding?
The activities of the current head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military District Administration, Ivan Fedorov, raise many questions. Online, he is accused of supporting Russians during the 2014 demonstrations, “surrendering” the now-occupied Melitopol to Russian control, embezzling funds for the fortifications of Zaporizhzhia region, and personal enrichment during the war. So which of the above is true and why does Fedorov’s personality require a thorough investigation by the state authorities?
“Dragon’s teeth” at inflated prices
One of the main tasks of Ivan Fedorov, as the head of the frontline Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, is to maintain the security of the region, including through the construction of fortifications.
Thus, two Melitopol-based companies were involved in the work on the Zaporizhzhia direction: MELSITY LLC and AKVI-BUD DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LLC, which are probably affiliated with Fedorov himself. These companies repeatedly won tenders back when he was mayor of the now-occupied Melitopol, and even then their names were associated with numerous corruption scandals.
Information about these companies was carefully concealed from the public, which confirms their alleged ties to the regional authorities.
When Fedorov became the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, a number of tenders for the purchase of the main elements of anti-tank defense – “dragon’s teeth” – where the price of a unit was UAH 1500 per piece, were canceled. Instead, a new procurement was organized, where the price of the structures increased to UAH 1800 per unit. At the same time, the real market value of the elements is about UAH 1300.
The journalists linked these manipulations to the acquisition by Fedorov and his partners of an industrial site for the production of “dragon teeth.” This company allegedly supplies products for fortification works through controlled companies, selling them at prices significantly higher than market prices. It is known that all the products are supplied to Zaporizhzhia region, which makes it possible to receive large profits from public procurement.
Ivan Fedorov’s assets
In March 2024, Ivan Fedorov amended his declaration for 2024, indicating “significant changes in his property status.” After that, it became known that he had purchased a MAN truck worth UAH 288,845, which, by his own admission, was the first car he personally owned.
Prior to that, Fedorov had only listed cars belonging to his relatives in his previous declarations: A 2012 Lexus to his mother and a 2015 BMW X6 to his brother. Why did Fedorov avoid listing his own vehicles before?
According to the declarations, Fedorov did not become richer after his appointment as the head of Zaporizhzhia DEC. Thus, in 2023, he earned UAH 959 thousand (about UAH 80 thousand per month), which, given the high level of responsibility, looks quite logical. However, it is noteworthy that even with such income, Fedorov was able to purchase a truck from Germany for almost UAH 300 thousand. Where did he manage to get these funds, given the lack of significant assets in previous years?
Construction of a school shelter for UAH 107 million
The state-owned enterprise Local Roads of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, controlled by the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, awarded a contract for the construction of a shelter for a lyceum in Vilnyansk to a private company, BC Metcom Invest, without competition. The problem is that the winning company has minimal experience in public procurement – in 9 years, it has fulfilled only one contract worth UAH 1 million. Why this company was entrusted with such a large sum is a rhetorical question.
It is known that the tender was held without competition, and other companies that participated in the procurement had very questionable proposals, which were probably fictitious.
Questions also arise about the cost of the school shelter. The price of one square meter of such a shelter will be UAH 64,664, which is three times higher than the norm for residential construction in this region, where it is UAH 21,951 per square meter. This money could have been used to build ordinary residential buildings, not just one shelter for a school.
However, this is not the only issue. The estimate also contains a list of discrepancies:
- Concrete was purchased at UAH 3,630 per cubic meter, although it costs UAH 2,250 on the market – an overpayment of 38%.
- Bricks cost UAH 11 per piece, although they can be bought for UAH 7.40-8.40, an overpayment of 23% to 32%.
- Rebar was purchased at UAH 39,600 per ton, while Metinvest-SMC sells it for UAH 33,100, a 16% overpayment.
The estimate also included unnatural expenses, such as a treadmill, exercise bike, laser tag, laptops, tablets, chess tables and tennis tables. One wonders what these items have to do with a shelter for a school 45 kilometers from the front line.
Another interesting point is that the director of the construction customer, Municipal Enterprise “Local Roads of Zaporizhzhia Region” Victoria Repashevska is a former employee of the Melitopol Capital Construction Department. The same city that was once under the control of Ivan Fedorov. Therefore, collusion between officials is more than likely.
The State Audit Service has already begun to check the project, but experience shows that such cases often end in nothing. As a rule, after the investigation, the result remains zero, and budget funds continue to be spent on fraudulent expenses.
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