The Avtostrada group of companies has stopped implementing projects to protect Kyiv's water supply facilities after receiving instructions from the management of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development to halt operations. This was announced on November 5, 2026, by the company's CEO Maksym Shkil in a Facebook post, as cited by RBK-Ukraine. According to him, the decision to stop was made on the same day, November 5, following a personal meeting with the Head of the Restoration Agency, Ivan Fedorov, during which he was informed that the company would not continue working on the specified sites.
Project launch: an urgent task without contracts
According to Shkil, in October 2026, Avtostrada received an urgent directive from the Restoration Agency to begin implementing protection projects for Kyivvodokanal facilities. The company, "understanding the urgency of the issue," agreed to take on legal risks and begin work without signed contracts or confirmed financing. As part of the mobilization, specialized personnel from a design institute were engaged, geological and geodetic surveys were started, and production units were urgently mobilized. Written confirmation of the company's readiness to implement the project, Shkil claims, was sent to the client via official email on October 23, 2026.
November 4: directive to stop work
On November 4, 2026, instructions were received from the client to stop the implementation of the projects. Shkil reported that this was done "on the oral instruction of the First Deputy Head of the Restoration Agency, Inna Vnukova." The following day, November 5, the management of Avtostrada held a personal meeting with Ivan Fedorov. According to Shkil, the meeting raised the question of the company's further participation in the capital's water protection projects, and the answer was negative. The reason cited was that "there is tension in relations with the Avtostrada company." By the end of the day on November 5, the company stopped project implementation and withdrew workers from the sites.
Accusations of contract reallocation
Maksym Shkil suggested that Ivan Fedorov intends to transfer the implementation of the projects to other companies. He claims these are enterprises that, prior to Fedorov's appointment as head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, lacked the necessary production capacities, personnel, equipment, experience, and gear. Shkil stated that since Fedorov's appointment, these companies have received over 10 billion hryvnias in contracts, with more than 2 billion hryvnias in the Restoration Agency's system alone. The head of Avtostrada described the situation as a reflection of the "level of management and the fulfillment of direct instructions from the President of the country regarding the protection of critical infrastructure."
Divergent assessments: who initiated the stop
Separately, Shkil refuted previously published information from Ivan Fedorov about an alleged refusal by Avtostrada to participate in the Kyiv water protection project. Shkil called this information a "lie" and referred to the written confirmation of readiness sent on October 23. In turn, Fedorov had previously stated that the Restoration Agency is organizing the protection of nine critical infrastructure facilities in the capital, engaging at least seven contractors, and denied the involvement of Zaporizhzhia companies in this work. Thus, the parties provide mutually exclusive explanations as to why Avtostrada is not participating in the project: the company claims it was told to stop, while the Agency previously claimed a refusal by the contractor.
Context and next steps
At the time of publication, on November 7, 2026, Avtostrada has focused on other works where, according to Shkil, "clients do not make chaotic decisions." An official response from the Restoration Agency to Shkil's statement has not been published as of the preparation of this material. The question of which companies will be engaged in the protection of Kyiv's water supply facilities and under what conditions remains open.
