Top Kyiv Officials Accused of Stealing $4M From City Bridge Project

Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday that at least 153 million hryvnias – roughly $4 million – were stolen from Kyiv’s city budget during the construction of the Podilsky Bridge, according to findings by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Bureau of Economic Security (BEB).

Investigators allege that current and former executives of a municipal enterprise under the Kyiv City State Administration were involved in orchestrating the scheme. The funds were reportedly misappropriated prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Officials said the investigation uncovered a complex fraud scheme involving both current and former heads of a municipal enterprise under the Kyiv City State Administration (KMDA). These individuals are accused of working with outside contractors to overpay for building materials and then pocketing the difference.

The alleged fraud took place in 2018 and 2019, before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Investigators found that the suspects bought 8,800 metal grids used to support the bridge structure.

However, instead of paying the market price – around $110 per unit – the municipal enterprise paid over $6,600 per unit, nearly six times more.

Authorities say the grids were purchased from a foreign supplier linked to the Middle East through a Kyiv-based construction company. That company is believed to have close ties to the officials involved in the scheme.

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As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers searched several properties and seized computer equipment, mobile phones, and financial documents believed to be connected to the case.

Three suspects have now been officially charged: the current and former heads of the city enterprise, and the former director of the contracting firm.

They are accused of large-scale embezzlement committed by an organized group while abusing their official positions. If convicted, they face up to 12 years in prison and the confiscation of their property.

The investigation is ongoing. The case is being handled under the supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

The Podilsky Bridge project has long faced delays and budget issues, drawing public attention and criticism over the years. It is one of Kyiv’s largest infrastructure projects, aimed at easing congestion and connecting the city’s central and left-bank districts.