Kyiv City Administration Is More Dangerous Than Russian Missiles
Mykola Siutkin
You do business, we mitigate risks | Business Investment Risk Advisor | Co-founder of S&P Agency | Attorney | Co-publisher LDaily | Ironman
Maksym Bakhmatov, founder and head of the NGO Office of Transformation, shared with LDaily insights about large-scale urban projects aimed at normalizing urban spaces in Kyiv and across Ukraine. He also discussed the achievements and obstacles encountered in implementing these initiatives.
LDaily: What are the key areas of focus for the Office of Transformation at the moment? Which projects are your priorities?
M. Bakhmatov: To better understand our priorities, it’s important to first explain what the Office of Transformation is. It is essentially a think tank, a hub of concentrated expertise and knowledge – an expert civic organization that accumulates insights, projects, and expertise across various fields of management, governance, and the development of municipal systems. Municipal systems in general. We started with the city of Kyiv, but the logic of managing municipal projects is universally the same. Every manager – or, in this case, mayor – faces a constant shortage of resources, time, and capacity. Urban projects are particularly demanding in terms of time – they require a year, two years, ten years, or even decades. And that’s not it. For example, the projects to reclaim land from the North Sea in the Netherlands began at the start of the 20th century, and the first phase was only completed in 1995 – 90 years later.
Given this reality, the work of the Office of Transformation is fundamentally about management and efficiency, not politics. Politicians come and go quickly, and if we simply listen to their promises, even assuming they are highly professional, we won’t achieve sustainable, systematic results for the development of a metropolis like Kyiv. Kyiv, after all, is among the five largest cities in Europe.
When we began our work, it turned out that transformation offices already exist in major cities like Toronto, Liverpool, and others. This is because while mayors may change, the institutional knowledge of development projects must remain. Hence, our priorities include expert initiatives such as the traffic management project “Kyiv Traffic Group,” an organization that brings together everyone involved in traffic development in Kyiv.
At the beginning of 2019, we discovered that there was no one in Kyiv specifically responsible for traffic congestion. About a million Kyiv residents face daily traffic jams, spending an average of one and a half to two hours each day stuck in traffic. Yet, there was no individual or team actively working to improve the situation or held accountable with clear KPIs.
When I was assisting the community at the building on Khreshchatyk, it became clear to me that we needed to dive deeply into this issue. We brought together the police, city departments, municipal enterprises, community representatives, experts, cyclists, and pedestrians – everyone. We then began measuring traffic, and it turned out that Kyiv ranked third in the world for traffic congestion. First, if I’m not mistaken, was Istanbul, second was Moscow. The ranking included 180 cities worldwide and was based on data collected by the international agency “TomTom,” which gathers, analyzes, and sells traffic data and produces rankings based on delays in moving from point A to point B.
This was before the war, but I believe the situation remains largely the same. Initially, things improved slightly when people left Kyiv, but now most have returned. We’ve expanded our traffic analysis beyond just vehicles, integrating it into what we call the “Greater Transport Ring.” This is the future of Kyiv – a comprehensive expert project we developed over nine months and presented in December 2021, just six to eight weeks before the full-scale invasion. Despite everything, we understand the need to give the city room to breathe and opportunities to develop.
The “Greater Transport Ring” is a project for a high-speed light rail system, akin to an above-ground metro. This model operates successfully in Vienna and Istanbul, and a similar line was recently inaugurated in Tel Aviv. It involves a dedicated line for modern above-ground carriages, approximately 40 meters long. According to our project, the Greater Transport Ring will serve 1.5 million people daily. These are modern, air-conditioned vehicles equipped with internet and free from traffic jams. Most importantly, it is ecological – we will reduce CO2 emissions by 80%. It is safe, modern, and 10 to 15 times cheaper to build than a conventional metro system. For example, reconstructing 27 meters of a damaged tunnel in Demiivska station, neglected for over a decade and eventually collapsing with water leaks, took nine months and cost the city $10 million. If we scale that up, 100 meters would cost $50 million, and a kilometer would reach $500 million. Even with bulk discounts, the cost of building a metro is unlikely to fall below $150 million per kilometer. By contrast, we propose constructing the Greater Transport Ring at an average cost of €10 million per kilometer, enabling the city to grow and thrive. This project is a flagship initiative because it integrates economics, ecology, and infrastructure development. When a new transport connection like this is built, international partners who provide funding for the project require the simultaneous modernization of all utilities – water, electricity, and sewage – so that there is no need to revisit and rebuild later, ensuring that the infrastructure is durable and reliable for at least 20 years. As a result, the city gains not only a new transport model but also upgraded utilities in areas that have historically lacked them, such as Troieshchyna, Vynohradar, Borshchahivka, and Voskresenka – neighborhoods that have never had metro access. These areas will now benefit from a state-of-the-art light rail system.
LDaily: How necessary and precise is traffic measurement in general, and your approach in particular?
M. Bakhmatov: To manage something, you must first measure it. We are the only organization in Ukraine that systematically measures traffic, collaborating with Amazon, Google, and TomTom. We are about to start working with one of the mobile operators as well and will sign an agreement soon. We collect data and show the current delays, the time and money being lost, and so on. In essence, we measure Kyiv traffic to understand what is happening with it. After Yandex services were banned in Ukraine, if you remember Yandex.Traffic, which stopped in 2014 – there was nothing until 2022 when we launched the Kyiv Traffic Dashboard. It is public and free, allowing people to understand the current traffic situation.
LDaily: What other directions are you involved in?
M. Bakhmatov: Among other activities, we assisted a temporary special commission of Ukrainian MPs in addressing Kyiv’s issues. This commission was specifically created to tackle inefficiencies and problems in Kyiv. It turned out that the Office of Transformation holds the most independent knowledge about Kyiv. From February to July, we supported all their meetings, helped analyze issues, publicly voiced our concerns, posed questions, and held the Kyiv authorities accountable.
This included addressing traffic issues, heating, preparation for the most severe war in Ukraine’s modern history, and the destruction of historical landmarks. Over 2.5 years of the full-scale invasion, 24 historical buildings in Kyiv were destroyed: two by Russian missiles and 22 illegally demolished with the involvement of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA). This means the KCSA has proven more destructive than Russian missiles.
The same pattern applies to traffic and street safety. Annually, between 100 and 120 people lose their lives on Kyiv’s streets, and thousands are left disabled. During the first year of the full-scale invasion – arguably the most dangerous period, when many lives were lost to missile attacks – 110 people died. Here again, Kyiv’s authorities are more lethal than russian missiles. Missiles can be intercepted by air defense systems and the military, and the war will eventually end. However, the current city administration continues to claim lives due to mismanagement of traffic, poor organization, and decisions such as increasing speed limits to 100 kilometers per hour on key highways. The basic principle of safe traffic is reducing speed to 50 kilometers per hour. Studies show that if a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle traveling at or below 50 kilometers per hour, there is roughly a 90% chance of survival. However, at speeds above 50 kilometers per hour, survival rates plummet to nearly zero. With the average human weighing around 70 kilograms and a vehicle weighing 1.5–2 tons, collisions at high speed are almost always fatal. That’s why cities across Europe have reduced speed limits to 50 kilometers per hour, and some German cities have even adopted limits as low as 30 kilometers per hour. This is part of the “Vision Zero” concept, which unfortunately hasn’t been implemented in Kyiv. Vision Zero was developed in Stockholm in the 1990s as a strategy for achieving zero road deaths. Stockholm took approximately 20 years to achieve this goal. In the 1980s, the city experienced a spike in traffic fatalities, with up to 60 people dying on the roads annually. They realized immediate action was necessary and implemented stringent measures.
Further on our areas of focus. We assisted the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) in addressing the safety issues concerning Kyiv’s bridges. The Metro Bridge is in critical condition, and the Paton and Southern Bridges are also unsafe. The Shuliavsky Bridge, originally budgeted at over 600 million UAH, has ballooned to a cost of 2.5 billion UAH – and remains incomplete. No new metro stations have been built in the past 11 years. There’s still no metro extension to Vynohradar or Troieshchyna. Meanwhile, Kyivteploenergo (Kyiv Heat Energy) has an active contract with the aggressor country worth 200 million UAH. Additionally, 80% of the city’s heating infrastructure is in critical condition. This means that when you pay around 1,000 UAH for heating, roughly 500 UAH of that essentially “leaks into the ground” due to failing, poorly maintained, and unrepaired systems. It’s more profitable for contractors to dig and patch endlessly rather than make durable repairs once that could solve the problem once and for all.
Another pressing issue is the Bortnychi Aeration Station. This facility processes all the sewage from Kyiv, all the excrements, and not only Kyiv but parts of the surrounding region – serving approximately 5 million people. The notorious odor in neighborhoods like Pozniaky, Osokorky, and Kharkivskyi is directly linked to this station, which is 90% in disrepair. In 2015, Japan provided Kyiv with $1.1 billion under an intergovernmental agreement signed by then-President Poroshenko. This funding, offered at a 0.2% interest rate over 40 years, was intended for the reconstruction and repair of the Bortnychi Aeration Station. Despite this, Kyiv’s authorities have done nothing. If the station fails, all downstream cities along the Dnipro River – representing two-thirds of its length – will be contaminated with sewage from Kyiv. There were numerous accidents at the station in 2013–2014. While the facility is still operational, it’s holding on by a thread.
One of our notable expert projects was implementing 4G in the Kyiv Metro. The metro administration hindered high-speed internet development because its employees demanded bribes. We conducted an investigation into Braginsky, the head of the metro, who had been in his position for 10 years. Our investigation, supported by “Bihus,” eventually led to his dismissal, after which he fled. Similarly, the general director of Kyivpastrans fled, and no progress was made in managing the city’s public transportation system, including buses, trolleybuses, and trams. Another figure, Hustelev from Kyivavtodor, also fled, leaving nothing accomplished. Most recently, the general director of Kyivmiskbud, Kushnir, fled. The organization is now left with a 20-billion-hryvnia deficit, while Kushnir owns a villa in Monaco worth 20 million euros. Thus, Mr. Klitschko allowed such individuals to manage Kyiv’s largest municipal enterprises for 10 years. He simply dismissed them after they looted and mismanaged resources repeatedly, leaving nothing behind. This is another of our investigative focuses. We conducted an investigation into the Kyiv Metro utility and Mykola Yuriyovych Povoroznyk. We uncovered potential corruption amounting to 600 million UAH. Povoroznyk is the most influential municipal official in Ukraine, holding the position of First Deputy Mayor of Kyiv, effectively the second most powerful person in the city. It turned out he was involved in such schemes. Recently, NABU searched his premises regarding embezzlement during the reconstruction of a hospital, a project valued at 1 billion UAH during the full-scale invasion.
Another investigation targeted Kyiv’s officials, the most corrupt and affluent ones. Among them is a female official whose declared annual salary is 23 million UAH, formally documented in her declaration, despite her lifelong career in Kyiv’s public sector.
Separately, we examined the mercury contamination disaster in Lisova station, focusing on the “Radikal” plant, where 200,000 tons of mercury-laden waste lie exposed. Following our investigation, the Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office launched a criminal case against Petro Panteleyev for his inaction, which caused damages to Kyiv estimated at 40 billion UAH.
Regarding the 4G project, there was a billion-hryvnia initiative. For 10 years, the city authorities blocked efforts to implement first 3G and later 4G in the metro. Eventually, representatives from all telecom operators approached me, stating, “Maxym Isanovych, we do not pay bribes – please help.” Upon investigation, we discovered that the delays stemmed from the absence of transparent tariffs. Authorities claimed that the Kyiv Metro was a restricted facility, with maintenance only allowed during a narrow window of time – from about 1 a.m. to 3-4 a.m. – making the process extremely challenging. For a decade, they fed this narrative to investors. When I got involved, they began telling me that it was technically impossible. However, our engineers assured me, “Maxym Isanovych, give us access to the metro, and we will complete the project in three months.” We began in December, opened the first station, “Akademmistechko,” in March, and within a year, we covered all metro stations with free LTE high-speed internet. This service works from top to bottom, including in the trains. During russian missile attacks, the Kyiv Metro became the largest resilience hub in Ukraine, simultaneously sheltering 300,000 people. Electricity and internet service remained uninterrupted, enabling everyone to communicate, follow the news, and stay connected.
LDaily: What other projects have you implemented that were specifically developed by you?
M. Bakhmatov: Among the major projects is the electronic ticket system. It was launched but initially did not work properly. We managed to make it operational by eliminating tokens and introducing the blue card system. Another significant project was an audit of Hospital No. 17. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was claimed that 24 artificial lung ventilators were available, but the audit revealed that only 2 were functional. This investigation garnered significant attention because it highlighted that if 24 patients had been admitted, 22 of them would have died due to the discrepancy between the official records and reality. Kyiv officials blatantly presented false information. Additionally, during COVID-19, we halted tenders worth 65 million UAH intended for purchasing cameras allegedly capable of identifying infected individuals by facial recognition. Such technology is impossible for street cameras, and it was merely a scheme to embezzle 65 million UAH.
We also initiated the project “Kyiv Investigates” in collaboration with Slidstvo.info. Our first investigation, conducted two weeks before the full-scale invasion, focused on the readiness of bomb shelters. We discovered that many shelters were unprepared, housing strip clubs, storage facilities, and anything but proper shelters. Despite this, we have a copy of a 2014 press release from the then-head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Bondarenko, who claimed everything was ready and Kyiv residents had nothing to fear.
Another notable initiative was the “Educational Mentor” program. About 300 entrepreneurs participated in this nine-month program, learning how to develop their businesses with the guidance of lecturers like Oleksandr Pochkun from Baker Tilly, Yevhen Kudriavchenko from Vintage Web Production, Dmytro Stryzhov, CEO of the security holding “Sheriff,” Oleksandr Sudarkin, Director of MBA and pre-MBA programs at the MIM Kyiv Business School, Valentyn Yaremenko, CEO of White Sales, Vsevolod Zelenin, a professor at MIM Business School and a Ph.D. in philosophy and psychology, along with other professionals. Each lecturer taught their area of expertise to provide entrepreneurs with the support needed to develop their projects further.
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LDaily: Which projects are you most proud of?
M. Bakhmatov: I’m particularly proud of our investigations using open-source intelligence (OSINT) and media reports into the activities of Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) officials and municipal enterprises. One prominent case was our 2021 investigation into Mykola Yuriyovych Povoroznyk, the First Deputy Head of the KCSA. After the investigation was published, Povoroznyk filed a lawsuit against me in the fall of 2022, during the full-scale invasion and martial law, claiming it damaged his honor, dignity, and business reputation.
We based our findings on publicly available data and media reports. Interestingly, Povoroznyk didn’t refute the media information we used in our investigation but targeted me personally. Currently, the case has reached the Supreme Court. Despite the lawsuit, NABU recently conducted searches at his premises related to corruption allegations.
We’ve already won in both the first-instance court (Dnipro District Court) and the Court of Appeals. This case is unique as it’s the only instance where a high-ranking official sued a public organization and activist. It seems our findings struck a nerve because they were based on publicly available data and media coverage, revealing potential corruption and connections. This ongoing legal battle has lasted nearly two years, and if I’m not mistaken, by the time this interview is published, he will have filed another lawsuit against me on a different matter while appealing the previous decisions in the Supreme Court. We’re currently waiting for the documents.
Another project I’m proud of is the 4G implementation in Kyiv’s metro, arguably our most impactful initiative. Around a million people use it daily. Over the past 4–4.5 years (full coverage became operational only in the second half of 2020), approximately 1.5 billion people have benefitted from it. What’s even more remarkable is that we didn’t take a single hryvnia from Kyiv’s budget to accomplish this.
LDaily: In your opinion, what should Kyiv do to achieve the level of a modern European city?
M. Bakhmatov: Kyiv’s budget is comparable to that of Prague – approximately $2.5–3 billion. But we don’t live like Prague, do we? So, we need to start with the mayor, the burgomaster. The current mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, is a great athlete, a fantastic boxer, but a very weak manager and an extremely ineffective mayor. Once we address the issue of management, introduce proper efficiency metrics for the city, and eliminate ineffective and corrupt municipal enterprises that drain money without creating added value, we’ll have a chance to build a normal city.
Until then, there is no “silver bullet,” no super-project that can instantly fix everything. Let me remind you that Central Park in New York, before Giuliani came into office in 1995, was one of the most dangerous places in the U.S. in terms of the number of rapes, robberies, and murders. He arrived, replaced the entire city leadership, including the police management, and then established a dedicated public organization to develop Central Park. Now, it’s a wonderful place – beautiful and safe. But all of this was directly linked to management. So, as long as the current mayor remains in power, we won’t have a normal city – there’s absolutely no chance.
LDaily: In your opinion, what are the most necessary reforms for Kyiv?
M. Bakhmatov: No new metro lines have been built in 11 years. Kyivteploenergo is in a critical state – this is our entire heating system. The Bortnychi Aeration Station is in an emergency condition – this is all our wastewater treatment. Bridges are in disrepair – Metro Bridge, Paton Bridge, Southern Bridge. The bridge to Troieshchyna is unfinished. There’s no metro to Vynohradar, *, Troieshchyna. Traffic is a separate issue. Illegal construction is another. The destruction of historical landmarks is yet another issue. There’s no development strategy in areas like culture, education, and sports. The lack of a General Plan for Kyiv is also an obstacle to proper development. Another problem is the theft of 4 billion hryvnias allocated for metro construction – this money has not been recovered. Yet another issue is the bankruptcy of Kyivmiskbud, which has left 50,000 people without apartments and created a financial hole of approximately 20 billion hryvnias. These are massive problems, piece by piece.
LDaily: What message would you like to convey to our readers? What should they pay attention to, and what actions should they take?
M. Bakhmatov: Through our collaboration, you, as an independent expert media outlet, can provide information that enables critically thinking people to better understand the situation. For example, today we asked Kyiv residents publicly, on record, how many metro stations have been opened in the past 11 years. Out of ten people, maybe two correctly answered that none had been opened. The rest believe something is happening. But this is precisely because nothing is happening, and it’s so outrageous and humiliating that people can’t even imagine it’s true. People push this harsh reality away – that the city of Kyiv, with a budget of about 600 billion hryvnias over the past ten years, hasn’t managed to open a single metro station. The last station was opened in 2011. So, the main story here is corruption, an ineffective mayor, the lack of proper KPIs, and, on top of all that, the absence of a development strategy.