Following Fedorov's appointment, the Kalmius company was awarded contracts worth 2.14 billion hryvnia
The company “Kalmius,” which journalists link to the business circle of Ivan Fedorov, head of the State Agency for Infrastructure Restoration and Development of Ukraine, received government contracts worth 2.14 billion hryvnia after his appointment to the position. According to an investigation by “Nashi Hroshi,” the firm received some of the large contracts without competition. Journalists also noted discrepancies in the cost of similar projects across different regions and the company’s ties to other businesses mentioned in law enforcement documents.
The company “Kalmius” received government contracts worth 2.14 billion hryvnias following the appointment of Ivan Fedorov as head of the State Agency for the Restoration and Development of Ukraine’s Infrastructure. The firm is linked to the official’s business circle in Melitopol. According to journalists, over the course of about a year and a half, “Kalmius” received government contracts totaling approximately 5.6 billion hryvnias through the Prozorro system. Of this amount, 2.14 billion hryvnias came from contracts signed after Fedorov’s appointment to his new position.
Investigators have highlighted several major contracts awarded to the company. Among them are the installation of anti-drone protection over highways in the Zaporizhzhia region and the protection of energy facilities in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
A contract for road protection worth approximately 1.1 billion hryvnia
One of Kalmius’s largest contracts was awarded in the Zaporizhzhia region, which Ivan Fedorov headed prior to his appointment as head of the State Agency for Reconstruction. The company was tasked with installing anti-drone protection over highways. The expected value of the contract was approximately 1.1 billion hryvnia. According to “Nashi Hroshi,” the company received the contract without competition. The project involves the installation of metal structures, protective nets, and metal wire barriers. These structures are intended to protect roads from drone attacks.
At the same time, journalists compared prices for specific work in the Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions and found significant differences. In particular, according to the investigation, the installation of metal supports and protective netting under the Zaporizhzhia contract costs approximately three times as much as similar work in the Kharkiv region. The installation of metal tension cables costs about one and a half times more.
These discrepancies drew journalists’ attention to the cost of the work. At the same time, the price difference alone does not prove any violations: for a comprehensive comparison, one must take into account technical requirements, the scope of work, performance conditions, and other components of the cost estimate.
Two Contracts for the Protection of Energy Facilities
Kalmius received two more large contracts in the Dnipropetrovsk region. They concern the protection of energy facilities, and each is valued at 515 million hryvnias. As journalists note, these projects are being implemented as part of resilience plans. Contractors for such work are selected without conducting open tenders in the Prozorro system. Information about the contracts is currently withheld. As a result, journalists were unable to verify, based on publicly available data, the cost of construction materials and specific work items within these projects.
Consequently, the ability to independently compare prices for these contracts is limited. At the same time, the mere fact that contracts were awarded without open bidding does not automatically mean that violations occurred during the contracting process: to assess legality, one must consider the rules and conditions of the specific procedure.
The company was registered in 2025
“Kalmius” is a relatively new player in the construction market. According to the investigation, the company was registered in Zaporizhzhia in 2025. Its owner is listed as Danylo Sandyrev. Journalists noted how quickly the company began receiving government contracts. According to their data, the company received its first contract through Prozorro approximately two weeks after registration. Subsequently, it regularly received new contracts in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Investigators paid particular attention to “Kalmius”’s ties to other companies operating in the construction sector and linked to the Melitopol business community.
Journalists uncovered a connection with the company “Positiv”
According to “Nashi Hroshi,” “Kalmius” is linked to the construction company “Positiv.” Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion, it was registered in Melitopol—a city headed at the time by Ivan Fedorov.
After Fedorov was appointed head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, “Positiv” changed its registered address to Zaporizhzhia. Journalists also noted “Kalmius’s” collaboration with the company “Morena SK.” “Kalmius” leases construction equipment from it.
“Morena SK” is mentioned in the Economic Security Bureau’s investigation
The company “Morena SK” is mentioned in the materials of an investigation by the Bureau of Economic Security regarding the possible embezzlement of budget funds during the construction of fortifications in the Zaporizhzhia region. According to law enforcement, the company is controlled by Serhiy Bilovol, a former member of the Melitopol City Council. He is named as the main suspect in the case files.
It is important to note that this is the investigation’s version of events. The mere mention of a company or individual in criminal proceedings does not in itself imply proven guilt. Similarly, the business ties cited by journalists do not automatically prove that Kalmius’s government contracts were illegal.
Fedorov was appointed head of the State Agency for Infrastructure Restoration in September
In early September, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dismissed three officials and appointed Ivan Fedorov as head of the State Agency for the Restoration and Development of Ukraine’s Infrastructure. Prior to this, he headed the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration. Following his appointment, according to an investigation by “Nashi Hroshi,” the company “Kalmius” received contracts worth 2.14 billion hryvnias. Journalists drew attention to large orders, discrepancies in the cost of specific works, and the company’s ties to other firms.
At the same time, the published information does not in itself prove that Ivan Fedorov influenced the awarding of contracts or that there were violations during the contracting process. Such conclusions require additional evidence and the positions of the parties involved, neither of which are included in the article. This is stated in the investigation by “Nashi Hroshi.”
A petition on the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine calling for an appeal to the president to keep Mykhailo Fedorov in the position of defense minister did not receive the required number of votes to be considered.
