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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
☑️ “Golden Latches” signed by Terekhov
A criminal case worth nearly 70 million hryvnias is unfolding in Kharkiv. It concerns a scandalous procurement of pipeline valves for the municipal enterprise Kharkiv Heat Networks.
As early as 16 February 2023, a month before the tender was officially announced, Terekhov sent a letter to the equipment manufacturer — the limited liability company with foreign investments Danfoss LLC (a representative of the global Danfoss group). In that document, the city not only asked for the production of specific valves, but also provided payment guarantees for the future order in the amount of about 150 million hryvnias. It was for that amount that the contract was later signed.
The tender was announced on 21 March 2023. The manufacturer Danfoss did not participate. The sole bidder and winner was Start Linkor LLC. That company played the classic role of an intermediary: it purchased 272 units of product from Danfoss for 87,5 million hryvnias, and then delivered the same valves to the municipal enterprise for 153,7 million hryvnias. The difference amounted to 66,2 million hryvnias. According to a forensic economic examination, total damages reached 69,7 million hryvnias — the sum also included artificially inflated prices for components, in particular Auma electric actuators and gearboxes.
To justify the inflated prices, the organizers used certificates from the Kharkiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry. One contained real market prices, the other contained the figures needed to legalize the markup. The inflated numbers, as stated in the case materials, were “drawn up” based on data from firms that do not manufacture shut-off valves at all.
The NPU investigation clearly divided the roles of the figures involved. The organizer is considered to be Start Linkor’s owner, Oleg Belenkov. His right-hand person is named as director Natalia Stepova (suspicions under part 5 of article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The general director of Kharkiv Heat Networks, Vasyl Skopenko, is suspected only of official negligence that caused serious consequences (part 2, article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Skopenko was appointed to the position by Ihor Terekhov. The main contract was signed by the company’s financial director, Ihor Horishnyi, and the person responsible for the tender was Anna Pyvovarova. However, their names are not listed among the suspects.
🚫 The case’s figures continue to receive contracts from the same municipal enterprise. In June 2026, Start Linkor won a tender for valves worth 2,7 million hryvnias, and the company associated with them, Intech SK, won a tender for reconstruction with cogeneration units worth 48,3 million. In total, Start Linkor received about 308 million hryvnias from KHN, often without real competition or with overpayments. Belenkov’s sole proprietorship also received funds for crane rental.
A separate investigation is looking into another case related to a cogeneration unit involving the same persons. There is also an NABU proceeding regarding procurements in 2022 for 160 million hryvnias (including World Bank funds), which were conducted outside the Prozorro system at inflated prices.
⚙️ The main question that remains open: did Ihor Terekhov, by signing the letter with the financial guarantees, know that the contract would ultimately go not to the manufacturer but to an intermediary company with a multimillion markup? If he knew — that could indicate a conflict of interest.
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