Oleksandr Chykal Won Contracts Worth 1,3 Billion... Without Tenders

The municipal enterprise Kyivteploenerho in July–September 2026 contracted four agreements to build a backup heat pipeline for the Teremky neighborhood in the capital, with a total value of more than 1,3 billion UAH, with LLC Engineering and Construction Company “Atmosfera Management,” whose ultimate beneficiary became Oleksandr Chykal. All procurements were conducted without open tenders, and shortly before the first contract the company changed its owner, director, registration address, and list of business activities. The project is meant to provide backup heat supply to more than 280 buildings in case of a shutdown of CHP-5.

The contracts were signed on 20 July, 12 August, 27 August, and 25 September 2026. The first was worth more than 530 million UAH, the second almost 170 million UAH, the third over 230 million UAH, and the fourth about 390 million UAH. Completion of work under all contracts is scheduled by 31 December 2026. The procurements concerned separate commissioning complexes of a single infrastructure project, media report. The customer cited martial law as the basis for concluding the contracts without competitive bidding. The procurement titles and contract texts were classified, so there is no full detail of the works, materials, and cost components in open data. Because of this, it is impossible to independently match the declared cost of each stage to the scope of work from the published documents.The construction of the backup heat pipeline became the subject of protests by Teremky residents. Locals opposed cutting down greenery and argued that the route could have been routed around the park. During the confrontation police and the Municipal Guard appeared on site, and clashes occurred. At the same time, city authorities justify the project as necessary to ensure backup heat supply in case of an emergency shutdown of CHP-5.All four contracts were awarded to Atmosfera Management, registered almost 11 years earlier and specializing in installation of engineering networks. However, in June 2026, about a month before the first procurement, the company significantly changed its registration data. Its activities were expanded to include construction of pipelines, roads, and buildings, manufacture of metal structures, trade, and equipment rental. Contact phone and email were changed at that time as well.The company’s address changed too. In June it moved from Druzhby Narodiv Boulevard in Kyiv to Sofiyivska Street, and in July it was registered in Kharkiv at an address where, according to registry data, 28 other companies are located. At that time Oleksandr Vitovskyi became director. Registry data show that before his appointment he did not manage other companies and did not have a registered sole proprietor status.In June 2026 Oleksandr Chykal, aged 39, a native of Mykolaiv, became the sole owner of Atmosfera Management. According to a journalistic investigation, in 2012 he studied to become a physical education teacher, and in 2015–2020 he worked as a driver. Previously Chykal was also an unpaid assistant to Member of Parliament of the VIII convocation Serhiy Khlan, who represented the Petro Poroshenko Bloc. Phone contact data cited by journalists suggested that Chykal may have worked as the deputy’s driver.Chykal confirmed to journalists that he bought Atmosfera Management from the previous owners but refused to say with what funds the transaction took place. The provided materials contain no detailed information about financing the acquisition of the company or Chykal’s prior experience in implementing infrastructure projects.Chykal’s connections to the construction business can be traced through companies linked to brothers Volodymyr and Viktor Besaha, who operate under the Servit brand. On its website the group presents itself as an association of companies in design and construction. According to the investigation, in May 2025 Chykal became founder and head of the Sikurs charitable foundation, in which Volodymyr Besaha had previously held a share.

In May 2026 Chykal also became the founder and beneficiary of LLC Teplopraymbud. Previously the company was owned by Oleh Yelfimov, who earlier managed LLC Production and Commercial Center “Servit,” founded by the Besaha brothers. According to journalists, Teplopraymbud under its previous name received multi‑million orders from Kyivteploenerho. These links point to an intersection of business interests, but by themselves do not prove that the Besaha brothers controlled the execution of contracts at Teremky.An additional link between Chykal and Volodymyr Besaha journalists noted is Serhiy Khlan. The businessman’s wife, Olena Besaha, last year filed a lawsuit seeking to strip Khlan of parental rights to their mutual son. Chykal previously worked as Khlan’s assistant. This coincidence of circumstances indicates shared contacts but does not establish the former MP’s involvement in the allocation of contracts.Journalists also observed machinery marked “Servit” at the Teremky construction site. Formally Atmosfera Management and the Besaha brothers’ companies are separate entities. Volodymyr Besaha did not respond to journalists’ inquiries about the presence of machinery and the possible role of his companies in performing the work. There are no documents in the provided materials confirming that Servit structures are performing the contracts instead of the formal procurement winner.The Besaha brothers’ business previously featured in the story of development near the Zelensky family estate in Kyiv. In 2017 a residential complex called Turgenev was built near the historic building, which Servit still lists among its completed projects. In 2020 Volodymyr Besaha received urban planning conditions to design near the estate, and in 2024 the city administration issued documents for reconstruction of the building itself. On 19 July 2024 the estate was demolished. After that, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko called the demolition a provocation and said he intended to seek restoration of the building in court.In 2018 Vyacheslav Nepop, who held the position of deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, published a post praising the Besaha brothers. Journalists also found photographs showing then-chief architect of Kyiv Oleksandr Svystunov, former KCSA deputy head Oleksandr Spasybko, and Vitali Klitschko next to Viktor Besaha. The mere fact of appearing together in photos does not indicate these officials’ involvement in the Teremky procurements.Key questions about the backup heat pipeline remain the lack of competitive tendering, the secrecy of contracts and cost estimates, the change of the contractor’s owner shortly before contract signing, and the presence on site of machinery from another construction group. Answers to these questions require verification of documents on work performed, the source of funds used to buy Atmosfera Management, the actual performers and payments to subcontractors. The available information does not prove legal violations by Chykal or the Besaha brothers, and the final assessment of the use of budget funds will depend on procurement documents and the results of contract performance oversight.