UAH 63.6 Million Kept in the Budget: DOZORRO’s April Results

In April, the DOZORRO team prevented UAH 63.6 million from being spent ineffectively. The bulk of this figure reflects referrals sent by analysts to contracting authorities over previous months, and sometimes years.

The largest share of savings came from contract value adjustments — UAH 37.2 million. A further UAH 20.3 million resulted from terminated contracts, and UAH 4 million from canceled procurements. In some cases, the situation moved beyond communication with contracting authorities and ultimately led to the opening of criminal proceedings.

Below are some of the month’s most illustrative stories.

Criminal proceedings opened over archive renovation

In May of last year, Lviv State University of Internal Affairs contracted TIM-BUD LLC for a major overhaul of premises in the village of Vereshchytsia, Lviv Region. The building on the grounds of the Police Academy primary professional training center was to be converted into an archive building. The contract value came to nearly UAH 35 million, with completion scheduled by 1 July 2025.

In reviewing the cost estimate, DOZORRO analysts identified possible price inflation on certain materials. The most glaring discrepancy involved paint: at the time of analysis, its price in the estimate was fifteen times the market rate. Reinforcement mesh was priced seven times higher than market, and metal profiles twice as high. The total potential overpayment could have reached UAH 2.2 million.

In June 2025, we contacted the contracting authority requesting a review of material resource prices — something only possible through a supplementary agreement, given the fixed contract price. The university responded that it was monitoring the work and saw no issue with the pricing.

Since the company had already received payment under the contract, influencing the situation through the contracting authority was no longer viable. In April 2026, the DOZORRO team therefore updated its calculations, as considerable time had passed since the initial analysis. The revised estimate put the potential overpayment at UAH 1.6 million. We referred the matter to the prosecutor’s office, and law enforcement notified us that a criminal proceeding had been opened. The UAH 1.6 million figure has been counted as a prevention result in our April summary.

TIM-BUD LLC was registered in Lviv almost eight years ago. Since May 2025, the company has been owned by Volodymyr Bryhadyr, having previously belonged to Tetiana Dubrovna.

Contract terminated: building reconstruction in Kyiv Region

Another notable case involves the procurement of a major overhaul of a non-residential building in Kyiv Region. Back in November 2024, Liut Combined Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine signed a contract with Uiutspetsbud LLC for works valued at UAH 36.2 million, with completion planned by the end of 2026.

In reviewing the cost estimate, DOZORRO analysts identified a potential overpayment of approximately 5% of the contract value — UAH 1.9 million. The contract price was fixed. The most striking discrepancy was on dowels, priced at the time of analysis at four times the market rate. On average, materials across the estimate were approximately twice as expensive as market prices.

 In November 2024, we contacted the contracting authority requesting a price review. The department responded in the standard fashion, pointing to a positive expert assessment of the project design and stating that it would take our comments into account when concluding supplementary agreements. DOZORRO subsequently established, however, that the expert organization does not verify prices for construction materials — only the overall cost justification within the project scope. Analysts then requested completion certificates. By January 2026, the parties had agreed to terminate the contract on grounds that further performance was no longer expedient. This prevented UAH 1.9 million in ineffective expenditure.

Uiutspetsbud LLC was registered in Zhytomyr in November 2018. The company’s owner is Ihor Petrovych Drohorub, who ran for Zhytomyr City Council in the 2015 local elections on the Batkivshchyna party ticket.

Shelter reconstruction in Odesa Region: contract terminated following referral

A further case involved the reconstruction of a shelter and lyceum building in the village of Kryzhanivka, Odesa Region. In April of last year, the Education Department of Fontanka Village Council planned to sign a UAH 96 million fixed-price contract with Aqualight Private Enterprise. DOZORRO analysts began reviewing the procurement before the contract was signed, so that the contracting authority would have an opportunity to adjust prices and avoid overpayments in advance. 

Monitoring findings indicated a likely overcharge of up to UAH 2.5 million. The largest potential overpayments were on rebar and aerated concrete blocks, with prices in the estimate averaging more than 50% above market rates. Following DOZORRO’s request to review construction material prices, the village council pointed to a positive expert assessment of the project design. Nevertheless, by February 2026, the parties had agreed to terminate the contract by mutual consent — preventing a further UAH 2.5 million in ineffective spending.

AQUALIGHT Private Enterprise was registered in 2013 in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Region. The company subsequently relocated to Odesa and is currently registered in Kharkiv. Its owner is Serhii Hontarenko.

April in numbers: DOZORRO monitoring figures

In April, the DOZORRO team analyzed 74 procurements with a combined estimated value of UAH 4.2 billion. Based on monitoring findings, analysts submitted 46 referrals to contracting authorities — which we hope will translate into further budget savings in the months ahead.

Violations were identified in 64 of the procurements reviewed — that is, in the majority of procedures analyzed. Potential overpayments were the most common finding, recorded in 42 procurements with a combined likely overcharge of UAH 118.7 million. A further 22 procurements flagged other violations, including irregularities in the evaluation of tender submissions and document publication.

This material is funded by the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of Transparency International Ukraine and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.