Almost all deputies of the head of the Kyiv City State Administration traveled abroad in 2024
As is customary, they received funding from the city budget for these trips – per diems and other expenses. We analyzed this, and here is the TOP three officials based on the amounts paid for business trips in 2024. First place: Mykola Povoroznyk – 479,926 hryvnias, second: Petro Panteleyev – 240,000, third: Valentyn Mondryivskyi – 205,000.
We remind you that the Kyiv City Council approved a city target program for strengthening and developing international relations for 2024-2025. For foreign trips in 2024, 14 million 500 thousand hryvnias have been allocated. The same amount is earmarked for expenditures in 2025.
So, to which countries did the deputies of Klitschko pack their bags most often, and what were their purposes for traveling? The editorial team sent an information request to the Kyiv City State Administration. We received a response that, unfortunately, did not specify the purposes of the officials' trips.
5 American Tour
Valentyn Mondryivskyi was in the USA from September 19 to 29, 2024, particularly in Washington, D.C. Perhaps his personal Facebook page contains information about what he was doing in America during this period.
Only on September 30, Mondryivskyi wrote that he "participated in the Kyiv Veterans Forum together with the mayor of the capital, Vitaliy Klitschko." Strangely enough, we found no mention of his trip to the United States on this page in September or October. Therefore, it would be interesting to hear what significant contributions Mondryivskyi made for Kyiv while in Washington. Shouldn't the territorial community of the capital be informed about the outcomes of this trip funded by the budget, and on whose invitation did Klitschko's deputy visit this country? Was the quite substantial amount for this trip – 205,000 hryvnias – justified?
6 Why was Klitschko's deputy so happy?
During the same period, from September 19 to 29, 2024, another deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Petro Panteleyev, was also in the USA. His trip was also generously funded by the Kyiv budget – 188,239 hryvnias. On Panteleyev's Facebook page, we found only one post about this visit dated September 30, 2024, by Serhii Savchuk. He writes:
7 “My working visit to the USA has come to an end. It was very nice to meet and communicate with new people, businessmen, and officials. Importantly, American businesses are also looking at Ukraine. It was pleasant to meet with Ukrainian colleagues, with whom I worked in the same government, studied in the same group at university, and developed energy efficiency in local self-government bodies. We are all like-minded individuals! Ukraine must closely cooperate with American partners. The sooner we start active work, the more joint projects will be funded during and after the war. The stronger we will become.”
A number of photos were posted, one of which features a cheerful Panteleyev.
8 Savchuk once headed the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation of Ukraine and is now a businessman. What was the occasion for this "communication"? And what are the results of such discussions?
Mr. Panteleyev, what issues related to the housing and communal infrastructure of Kyiv did you address in Washington? Perhaps American businesses took on the task of replacing worn-out water supply pipes in our city? Or will they allocate millions of dollars for the energy modernization of Kyiv hospitals, schools, and buildings? Panteleyev prefers to remain silent about this. However, the budget funds for the trip were duly paid.
Just as traveler Panteleyev was flying to the USA, Kyiv resident Ihor Andrianov raised an alarm. On September 19, commenter Andrianov posted an angry comment on Panteleyev's page:
9 “If the Dnipro District State Administration does not start working on eliminating the emergency situation in the water supply networks in the private sector, we will now have to block the road, stopping tram services and the automobile road on Alma-Atinskaya Street…”
Did this urgent issue concern Panteleyev? Of course, America is far away.
So, two deputies of the head of the Kyiv City State Administration were supposedly solving something in Washington. "Something" remains a peculiar mystery for our community. By the way, the White House did not announce any meetings with the capital's officials. At least, we did not see any official press releases from the administration of then-President Biden.
We will also discuss other trips of Panteleyev abroad. From March 16 to 22, he went to Berlin (the trip was at his own expense). From May 25 to 31, he had another trip to the capital of Germany (at his own expense). From August 18 to 23, he visited the city of Ljubljana (Republic of Slovenia), again at his own expense.
He was also in London from November 17 to 23. The city treasury paid 51,792 hryvnias for the British trip. Surely, Kyiv residents would benefit from learning about the results of his journey to the Foggy Albion.
Mykola Povoroznyk's Trips
The First Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Mykola Povoroznyk, was also actively traveling.
0 From April 17 to 25, he visited Luxembourg (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) and London.
A month later, Povoroznyk packed his bags again – to Luxembourg and London, where he stayed from May 17 to 22.
From September 22 to 29, he visited Luxembourg and Berlin.
He was in Paris from October 1 to 17, and in London from November 17 to 23.
In total, for all these trips, Povoroznyk was paid 479,926 hryvnias from the city budget. The largest amount of budget funds was consumed during his April trip to Britain and Luxembourg – 127,295 hryvnias.
If we look back at Mykola Yuriyovych's past trips, it is worth reminding that Povoroznyk has traveled abroad nine times from September 2022 to December 2023. Let’s not forget that he is responsible for several key areas of urban management, including the metro.
1 The geography of his travels during that period was also extensive – from Canada to France. He visited Brussels (Belgium) four times. For example, in November 2023, he was interested in matters in London and Brussels, spending 87,530 hryvnias from the Kyiv budget for this. In 2023, the First Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration spent a total of 39 days on business trips.
What can we say, distant and nearby countries continue to attract Vitaliy Klitschko's associates. For some – war, for others – travel bags.
: