Founder of the construction company Autostrada, Maksym Shkil, has publicly appealed to Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky to reconsider state budget priorities. According to him, the funds allocated for the construction of the new four-lane H-31 highway (Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions), costing approximately 10 billion UAH, should instead be directed toward paying off debts for already completed engineering protection works on energy facilities. The statement was released on Facebook and published by RBC-Ukraine.
H-31 Highway: "there is no need to build a new road"
Shkil emphasized that the ongoing repair of the H-31 highway was completed in 2026 and cost the state more than 1 billion UAH. By his assessment, the existing surface is in "perfect condition," making the construction of a new four-lane road impractical. "These expenses are inappropriate," he stated, adding that saving on this specific project would free up funds to pay debts for repaired roads and completed protection facilities.
15 billion UAH debt and funding suspension in 2024
Earlier, Shkil stated that the state's debt to Autostrada amounts to approximately 15 billion UAH. He reminded that in 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers suspended funding for the company's projects aimed at building shelters for energy facilities. According to the Autostrada founder, his company was the first among Ukrainian contractors to fully complete the complex of works on 15 engineering protection facilities. "This is a concrete result of work under wartime conditions. Not Facebook reports, not videos, not statements or promises, but completed facilities that serve their purpose," he emphasized.
Personnel and equipment losses: 5 deaths and about 50 pieces of equipment
Shkil reported that over the past few years, five Autostrada employees have died while working on energy protection projects, and more than 20 others have been injured. As a result of Russian attacks, about 50 pieces of specialized equipment have been destroyed or damaged. He pointed out the lack of compensation for these damages, stating that the current war risk reimbursement system does not provide an adequate level of coverage, and held the government responsible for the current situation.
"Did not lay paving stones": protection of logistics and energy as an economic priority
Responding to potential criticism of the construction sector, Shkil emphasized that the company "did not lay paving stones" or "relocate fountains" but performed work without which the country's main routes would be impassable. According to him, this work has a direct impact on the economy and military logistics. As evidence of its effectiveness, he cited the example of a substation, which, according to his data, sustained more than 20 hits; after the installation of protection by Autostrada, the transformers continue to operate, ensuring electricity supply for hundreds of thousands of people.
Call for attractiveness to effective contractors
Concluding his appeal, Shkil urged the government to involve companies capable of providing measurable results in its sustainability plans, rather than limiting itself to formal reports. He also repeated a direct appeal to Prime Minister Koretsky: to start cutting costs from the H-31 highway and other capital construction objects, which, by his calculations, would allow funds to be freed up for paying off debts for already repaired roads and completed energy protection facilities.
