07.01.2025
Kharkiv
Utility scams
Utility mafia in a frontline city: embezzlement of international funds, meter tampering and tariff overcharging

While Ukrainians are struggling with the aftermath of war, rising utility prices and power supply problems, Kharkiv officials are successfully increasing their wealth amid the crisis. As in the worst of times, when city residents are left without gas and water, utility companies are not only failing to make life easier for Kharkiv residents, but are also using the situation for personal gain.
This is the case of Kharkiv Deputy Mayor Vitaliy Panov, former CEO of Kharkivvodokanal, who rose to a new level after a series of scandalous procurements and frauds. Together with his partners, he became part of a scheme where the energy crisis is used not to help citizens, but for personal enrichment.
“Golden” generators for Kharkivvodokanal
Perhaps the most scandalous aspect of this story was the procurement of generators for Kharkivvodokanal. Without a tender and at inflated prices, the city authorities signed agreements for the purchase of generators worth more than UAH 230 million.
According to our investigation, two gas generators with a capacity of 2500 kW and 2000 kW were purchased from the Bulgarian company Temperi Logistics Ltd, which was registered only in 2023. The cost of these units amounted to 123 million hryvnias, although their market price at the time was only about 85 million. And this is just the beginning.
Similarly, in another procurement, five gas generators were purchased for 22 million hryvnias each, which together yielded more than 109 million hryvnias. The market price of such units does not exceed 15 million per unit, and the overpayment for the entire batch is more than 35 million.
Who benefits? All this money goes not to help the citizens, but into the pockets of those who organized the fraud. The Bulgarian company Temperi Logistics Ltd. is a legal entity that has no real assets, but with the help of lobbyists in local authorities and deputy mayors, it has gained access to millions of Kharkiv’s frontline budget.
These corruption schemes are not just about generators. It is about the entire municipal sector of Kharkiv, where funds intended to help people are used for the personal interests of officials.
Wealth of Deputy Mayor Panov
According to the declaration for 2023, Vitaliy Panov has the right to use a 246.2-square-meter cottage and a land plot of almost 8,000 square meters in the village of Buhaivka, Chuhuiv district. He also owns a 173-square-meter apartment in Kharkiv. The official’s wife jointly owns an apartment of 45.8 square meters in Kharkiv. The Panovs declared 11 valuable items, including watches, jewelry, and clothing.
In addition, Panov declared two inventions – a water dispenser and a tubular mixer. At his main place of work in 2023, Panov received a salary of UAH 370.9 thousand.
By the way, Panov is the right-hand man of Vasyl Skopenko, the head of Kharkiv Heating Networks and Terekhov’s assistant. By the way, the situation in the enterprise subordinated to Skopenko is no better – residents complain about tariff increases: Consumers claim that bills are calculated according to specially “developed formulas” that have nothing to do with the actual cost of heating. According to residents, even when they are disconnected from district heating, they receive bills as if they were still using the services of the heating network. And, worst of all, these charges are not reviewed, even after numerous appeals to the company’s management.
Thus, we are witnessing systemic abuse and corruption in the city’s main utility companies. So what role does Kharkiv Mayor Terekhov play in this regard?
The reaction of the authorities
We are not stopping at the local level. Given that stolen funds are often of foreign origin, we intend to work with international partners, including the new US government. Now, after the change of administration in the US, we are actively cooperating with the Republicans to ensure that all stolen funds are returned to the Ukrainian budget. Officials who are involved in the withdrawal of funds from state-owned enterprises must be held accountable. And we will do everything possible to ensure that our international partners help restore justice and investigate these schemes.
We demand full transparency on where the money allocated to public utilities goes and urge citizens who have witnessed account fraud, withdrawal of funds or even extortion of bribes from public utilities not to remain silent.
If you have any information about meter fraud, extortion, tariff overcharging or unlawful expenses, please do not hesitate to report it to us. We will respond to every report and ensure that the relevant authorities launch an investigation.
Did you witness a crime?
Let us know about it. We will help protect the violated rights!
Share the post:
Last news
-
20 January 2025Without Category
-
18 January 2025Money laundering Tenders
-
17 January 2025Money laundering The Great Construction Program
-
15 January 2025Ecology Investigations
-
13 January 2025Investigations Money laundering
-
11 January 2025Investigations
-
9 January 2025Money laundering
-
7 January 2025Kharkiv Utility scams
-
4 January 2025Money laundering
-
2 January 2025Money laundering