In November 2026, a public conflict erupted between the Autostrada group of companies (founded by Maksym Shkil) and the leadership of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, headed by Ivan Fedorov. The dispute concerns the engineering protection of critical infrastructure facilities belonging to Kyivvodokanal amid ongoing disruptions to water supply in the capital caused by Russian attacks on the energy system.
The conflict is already delaying the physical protection of vital water supply facilities, which directly affects Kyiv’s resilience and energy security. At the same time, the newly appointed Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport, Mykola Kalashnyk, remains silent and has not publicly commented on or intervened in the situation.
Maksym Shkil stated that in October 2026 the company received an urgent task from the head of the Restoration Agency to begin protecting Kyivvodokanal facilities. Recognizing the severity of the situation, Autostrada assumed all legal risks and started work immediately — without contracts and without confirmed financing. The company’s design institute was involved, geological and geodetic surveys were conducted, and production units were mobilized.
On November 4, the customer, following an oral instruction from the First Deputy Head of the Agency, Inna Vnukova, ordered the work to be stopped. On November 5, during a personal meeting with Ivan Fedorov, Autostrada’s management clarified whether the work should continue. According to Shkil, the answer was “no” due to “tension in relations with the company.” From the end of November 5, Autostrada halted operations, withdrew personnel from the sites, and focused on other projects.
Shkil called Fedorov’s claim that Autostrada had refused to participate a lie and stated that on October 23 the company had sent the customer a written confirmation of its readiness to implement the project.
On November 7, Ivan Fedorov stated that the Agency is organizing engineering protection for 9 Kyivvodokanal facilities. Work has already begun on 7 of them, and on the remaining two it will start in the near future. At least seven experienced contractors are planned to be involved to ensure pace, quality, and competition.
According to him, two months earlier the Agency surveyed contractors about their readiness to start work. At that time, Autostrada refused. Fedorov also mentioned the company’s problems with preparations for winter road maintenance and emphasized that the requirements for all contractors are the same, and Autostrada is the only company publicly complaining about the distribution of work.
There is no separate open tender on Prozorro for the protection of these 9 Kyivvodokanal facilities, and none was planned. This is standard practice for the engineering protection of critical infrastructure.
The Restoration Agency (through regional services) concludes direct contracts with contractors, bypassing open tenders. This is explicitly provided for by:
– subparagraph 13 of paragraph 13 of Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1178 (Specifics of Public Procurement);
– the government decision of October 2025, which until March 1, 2026, allowed contracts to be concluded without open tenders or the electronic catalog for the construction and protection of critical infrastructure facilities (including life-support systems — water, heat, and electricity).
The Agency’s Central Procurement Organization works only through open tenders and is not involved in such “emergency” protection projects — precisely to save time, since the standard procedure takes 30 days or more.
This is why Shkil’s post refers to work “without contracts and without confirmed financing,” while Fedorov speaks about engaging contractors without referencing any specific tender. Contracts (if already signed) may appear in Prozorro later only as reports on direct contracts.
Despite the fact that the State Agency for Restoration is subordinated to the Ministry for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport, the newly appointed minister Mykola Kalashnyk has not made any public statements on the conflict, has not commented on the delays in protecting Kyivvodokanal facilities, and has effectively ignored the problem. As of early November 2026, he has not intervened to resolve the dispute or ensure the uninterrupted progress of critical protection works.
The situation arose against the backdrop of water supply problems in Kyiv (complete or partial suspension of water supply on November 3–4, 2026, due to power outages at facilities). The Restoration Agency is responsible for the engineering protection of critical infrastructure. The public statements of the parties contradict each other regarding who initiated the stoppage of works and whether Autostrada was ready to participate in the project.