In Sumy, officials spent hundreds of thousands of hryvnias on command: details
Residents walk at a street near a building damaged by Russian missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sumy, Ukraine June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova
A scandal has erupted in Sumy. People are raising money for thermal imaging sights for air defense units, while officials are heading off on autumn break, using public funds.
This was reported by ” Pryamoy ” with reference to the relevant documents.
Sumy is under fire daily. Russians are increasingly attacking critical infrastructure, energy facilities, and Sumy residents’ homes. Volunteers are currently raising funds to strengthen the city’s air defenses, as the city authorities are unable to meet such needs due to a lack of funding.
Meanwhile, Sumy City Council officials went on vacation. Some to Scandinavia, others to Dubai. And all of this was financed at the local budget’s expense, meaning a total of 600,000 hryvnias, paid for by Sumy taxpayers, was spent. Meanwhile, there’s no money for air defense.
The cost of one sight is approximately 200,000 hryvnias. So, Kobzar, as the de facto acting mayor of Sumy, and his team will spend enough money during their five-day Scandinavian and Dubai vacation to buy three thermal imaging sights for the air defense forces.
In addition, two members of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life party, Vitaliy Zhilenko and Anastasia Tkacheva, are traveling with Kobzar on vacation. The latter is a regional council member and the daughter of Ihor Perepeka, a city council member from the same Opposition Platform – For Life party. Her father recently negotiated a position with Kobzar as head of the Department of International Cooperation and Investment. And all of this is happening at the expense of Sumy taxpayers.
Several scopes could also be purchased for the cost of Rimma Bykova’s nine-day tour as deputy mayor. Everything—travel, flights, accommodation, and even per diem—is covered by the city budget. This is at a time when people are left without windows and roofs on the eve of freezing temperatures, and when the heating season in Sumy has yet to begin.
In total, Sumy officials spent a considerable amount of money abroad in 2025. Kobzar, for example, returned from Austria a week ago. Before that, he visited Germany, the Netherlands, and many other countries. However, these trips yielded no results.
