Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko is very reluctant to say goodbye to trusted people, some of whom have been with him since 2014. Who runs Kyiv?
The capital's mayor succeeded: despite a difficult winter, corruption scandals, and attacks from Bankova, he stood firm and retained all the key players on his team // collage: glavcom.ua/photo: kyivcity.gov.ua
"Kyiv is at risk of introducing direct presidential rule." The Commander-in-Chief heard this sensational scenario from several pro-government politicians six months ago. Corruption scandals , a brutal winter, harsh Russian strikes on the capital's energy infrastructure, large-scale accidents, and frozen buildings—all of this provided grounds for public criticism of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and the subsequent organizational conclusions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally criticized Klitschko for the fact that the capital's authorities, unlike those of many other cities, had failed to prepare for winter and were not doing enough to overcome the crisis. The head of state even instructed the government to rescue the catastrophic situation in the capital's capital.
Kyiv Mayor Volodymyr Klitschko, in response to criticism for the capital's poor preparation for winter, accused the central government of shifting responsibility and the political nature of the complaints. Photo: kyivcity.gov.ua
But Klitschko, who has been in charge of Kyiv for two decades, has once again proven that he can emerge unscathed from any quagmire. His complex history with the central government allows the capital's mayor to turn even completely objective claims into "political persecution."
Klitschko already has examples of regional centers (Rivne, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Poltava, Kropyvnytskyi, etc.) that remained without legally elected mayors after 2022. And the showy "decapitations" of Chernihiv and Odesa were a direct consequence of the Presidential Office's overt interference in the cities' affairs. However, despite all the scandals, Kyiv hasn't reached that point yet. And, more broadly, and frankly, Bankova's attempts to seize power in the capital and oust the inept mayor have once again failed.
Even high-profile corruption investigations against members of Klitschko's team appear less of a threat to the public and their Western partners than yet another attack on local government. The capital's mayor is taking advantage of this. The most "disgraced" members of his team are still in office. It's just that, under pressure from circumstances, they're forced to assume a different, less distinguished, status...
More than an advisor. Povorozhnik is back in business and ruling Kyiv.
Former First Deputy Chairman of the Kyiv City State Administration, Mykola Povoroznyk , continues to play a de facto key role in the vertical power structure established by Klitschko. Following the upheavals in the mayor's office, Povoroznyk now holds the lowly title of advisor "on the implementation of anti-crisis measures during the state of emergency in the capital." But this, according to sources close to the mayor, shouldn't mislead anyone. The real influence of this official, who has effectively ruled Kyiv for the second decade, has not wavered.
First Deputy Chairman of the Kyiv City State Administration Mykola Povoroznyk, although he moved to a less prestigious position as an adviser, has not lost his former influence // photo: facebook.com/povoroznyk.m
The drama surrounding Povoroznyk's dismissal and his return to Khreshchatyk continued. Klitschko suspended the official back in 2020 during an investigation, when the SBU suspected his associate of bribery. But finally, after a year-long "forced leave," Povoroznyk returned to his duties in April 2021. Klitschko's associate fell into disgrace for the second time in 2025: this time, his resignation was initiated by all Kyiv City Council factions (except the mayor's UDAR party).
The formal reason for the discontent was Povoroznik's celebration of his birthday on Kyiv's day of mourning. De facto lawmakers (including UDAR's partners in European Solidarity) were irritated by Povoroznik's unfettered influence over financial flows and multi-billion-dollar contracts in the capital. Then, along with Povoroznik, came "his man" at the helm of the capital's healthcare system— the longtime head of the Health Department, Valentina Ginzburg.
Klitschko openly delayed firing his valuable asset, but was forced to give in. However, he didn't let him go far: Povoroznik finally returned to his duties in the seemingly unnoticeable role of advisor.
"Povorozhnik" still comes to the Kyiv City State Administration as if it were a job , sources close to Klitschko tell Glavkom. " He may not sit until six in the evening and sign anything, but he still manages. All his deputies are at his beck and call, and working as an advisor is even better for him—he bears no formal responsibility, but retains no less influence than when he was a deputy ." To help outsiders understand this manager's influence within the Kyiv City State Administration, the source clarifies: "Povorozhnik, and possibly Nepop (the deputy chairman of the Kyiv City State Administration responsible for housing restoration and shelter construction—Glavkom)—are the only ones on Klitschko's team who can say 'no' to the mayor."
Vyacheslav Nepop: A "flayer" from Kyiv's construction mafia. Part 1
At the same time, sources at UDAR believe that Povoroznik is essentially the only option within Klitschko's team. A suitable replacement for him within the mayor's hierarchy has yet to be found.
Brotherhood of the "highlanders"
Povoroznik is just the beginning of a long list of "unyielding" veterans of Klitschko's team. The Kyiv mayor's aversion to parting with subordinates is legendary. While personnel reshuffles rage at the highest levels of government, time stands still on Khreshchatyk.
This personnel conservatism is best illustrated by the dynamic changes in the structure of deputy chairmen of the Kyiv City State Administration in recent years—both "regular" and "deputy chairmen" (who are responsible for the exercise of self-government powers) (the latter are approved by the Kyiv City Council). Or rather, the almost complete lack of change.
Thus, Klitschko’s deputy in charge of winter preparations, Petr Panteleev, has held his post since 2014.
One of Vitali Klitschko's longtime associates, Deputy Chairman of the Kyiv City State Administration Petro Panteleyev, is responsible for a key area – Kyiv's preparation for winter. // photo: kyivcity.gov.ua
Kiev
Since his first months as mayor, Klitschko has also worked at the Kyiv City State Administration, alongside his longtime ally Anna Starostenko, who oversees humanitarian affairs. Since before the war, the administration has included Valentin Mondrievskyi , Marina Honda , Vyacheslav Nepop , Konstantin Usov , who "disappeared" to the United States for a couple of years , Volodymyr Prokopiv , and chief of staff Dmytro Zahumennyi. A formal newcomer among the deputies is Oleh Kuyavskyi, who was appointed in August by the Kyiv City State Administration in 2014.
Of course, there have been losses in the Kyiv mayor's inner circle during this time. For example, Petro Olenych was first suspended and then fired from his position as deputy chairman of the Kyiv City State Administration in 2025 following Operation Clean City and a notice of suspicion from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. Following corruption scandals, the heads of state-owned enterprises and departments within the Kyiv City State Administration were fired, but this seemed more like a necessary sacrifice to preserve the skeleton of the team.
Volodymyr Prokopiv, who leads the European Solidarity faction of UDAR's "ardent partners" in the Kyiv City State Administration, holds a special place among the deputy chairmen of the Kyiv City State Administration. Klitschko removed him from his position as deputy in 2024, after it became known that Prokopiv's father-in-law, mother-in-law, and wife had acquired numerous luxury properties in the capital during his tenure at the Kyiv City State Administration and the Kyiv City State Administration, the value of which did not correspond to the family's official assets. Furthermore, two friends of the deputy mayor acquired at least six properties previously owned by the municipality.
Immediately afterward, Prokopiv announced that he had submitted a resignation letter to the Kyiv City State Administration. However, no one ever saw the letter, and Klitschko suspended his deputy temporarily for the duration of the investigation. It's worth remembering that it was after this that tensions arose between the EU and UDAR, which negatively impacted the subsequent relationship between the two largest factions on the Kyiv City Council.
In April 2025, a scandal erupted over a notice of suspicion handed to Prokopiv by the SBU right in his hotel room . He was accused of facilitating the smuggling of conscripts to Europe—the departure of 31 individuals under the guise of transporting humanitarian aid.
In April 2025, Volodymyr Prokopiv, deputy chairman of the Kyiv City State Administration and chairman of the EU faction in the Kyiv City Council, was served with a notice of suspicion right in his hotel room // photo: ssu.gov.ua
Kiev
Despite the new accusations, in November 2025, Klitschko returned Prokopiv to the Kyiv City State Administration with the explanation that "conclusions have been received from anti-corruption agencies stating the absence of violations or any abuses." Petro Poroshenko's ally is overseeing the capital's healthcare sector, along with Tatyana Mostepan, the Director of the Department of Health appointed to replace Valentina Ginzburg.
Klitschko's longtime friend, Artur Palatny , chairman of the UDAR party executive committee, who holds no official position in the Kyiv government, remains firmly in the loop . Palatny's detractors claim that Palatny still represents Komarnitsky's interests in the capital , particularly through the heads of municipal enterprises, including the controversial Spetszhilfond public utility company. Klitschko's "right hand" is also credited with influencing personnel decisions at the Kyiv City State Administration, particularly the appointment of department heads.
Palatny, like many members of Klitschko's team, was subject to law enforcement searches in 2021. Udarovets called them a "cheap movie" and a "political hit job." The prosecutor's office claimed that the investigation, which led to the searches, concerned the protection of illegal businesses, specifically illegal extortion from entrepreneurs who had set up their retail outlets in underground passages. Palatny also appears sporadically in the "Komarnitsky tapes," but NABU's suspicions against him are currently unknown.
At the same time, Klitschko's old team is zealously ensuring that outsiders do not enter their turf. According to Hryhoriy Malenko, head of the Holos faction in the Kyiv City Council, not only the United Russia party but also other political forces represented on the City Council have communicated with Klitschko to also secure deputy positions for self-government powers in the Kyiv City State Administration. "But all attempts to reconvene the executive body so that all political forces are represented and bear shared responsibility for the results have been futile," laments Malenko.
His own secretary runs Kyiv
The Kyiv City Council, despite all the ongoing difficulties, is also under Klitschko's control. The deputies, albeit sometimes reluctantly, make the necessary decisions. And Kyiv's enormous 106 billion-ruble budget, by the standards of other cities in the country, is overseen by the mayoral hierarchy.
After last year's high-profile corruption scandal involving the "Komarnitsky tapes," the mayor escaped with only minor repercussions. However, one of the most painful for him was the resignation of his Kyiv City Council Secretary, Volodymyr Bondarenko.
But Klitschko turned even this loss to his advantage. The long-serving mayor has more or less mastered the art of chairing Kyiv City Council sessions and now categorically refuses to give up his secretary's position. The day-to-day operations of the City Council are handled by Denys Khomenko, the head of the Deputy Mayor's Operations Support Department. He sits next to Klitschko at meetings and comes to his aid when he becomes confused about procedural subtleties.
Following the resignation of his ally Volodymyr Bondarenko as secretary, Vitali Klitschko has decided to chair the Kyiv City Council meeting himself and does not want to hand over this role to anyone else. // Photo: kyivcity.gov.ua
Kiev
"Do you know what's changed now? If a deputy calls Klitschko, he gets through ," Andriy Vitrenko, head of the Servant of the People opposition faction in the Kyiv City Council, described to Glavkom the transformation in the mayor's communication with the parliament. " This didn't happen before. As the chairman of the budget committee, which wasn't the last one, I met with the mayor probably five times during my five-year term on the Kyiv City Council. But now it happens periodically: Vitaliy Volodymyrovych at least tries to listen."
Klitschko's communicative skills are a direct consequence of his decision to chair Kyiv City Council meetings himself—the mayor is forced to regularly communicate directly with members of parliament. This process is labor-intensive and challenging.
Following Bondarenko's resignation, UDAR's allies in European Solidarity hoped to secure the secretary's position for their protégé. Furthermore, according to Glavkom sources, the internal campaign for the secretary's post was led by Volodymyr Slonchak, a former deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration and a "resource" member of the Batkivshchyna faction. He could entice Klitschko by securing the votes not only of his Batkivshchyna colleagues but also of deputies from Unity and the former Opposition Platform - For Life. Such a "reserve of support" would make Vitaliy Volodymyrovych less dependent on his unpredictable EU partners.
But there's one issue that's currently off-limits to the mayor's team. Giving up the secretary's position is a taboo subject for Klitschko. "Vitaliy is very wary of a scenario involving the mayor's removal and the de facto transfer of powers to the secretary or head of the KMVAs, " says a source close to the mayor. " Furthermore, if the appointment of a new secretary were to be initiated, it would lead to a 'wish list' of committee reforms—and it's unclear how to get out of all of this."
Getting ready for land
The Kyiv City Council currently has more than just a vacancy for secretary: the future of the key land commission remains unclear. It is headed by Mykhailo Terentyev, a figure in the "Komarnitsky tapes ." Terentyev was detained as part of the NABU's "Clean City" operation, but he was released from pretrial detention on bail of 20 million hryvnias.
Following the scandal, Terentyev left the UDAR faction and resigned from his position as director of the Engineering Center utility company. He remains head of the land commission, but remains independent from any party. The UDAR party congress decided to revoke Terentyev's parliamentary mandate, but this procedure is also stalled in the courts.
Mikhail Terentyev, who figures in the Clean City case, spent time in pretrial detention and was expelled from the UDAR faction, but… continues to head the controversial land commission // photo: kyivcity.gov.ua
However, the land commission's work remains paralyzed. The dubious "land" votes following the tape scandal were initially blocked due to public outcry, and in October 2025, a new procedure for preparing and making decisions on the acquisition and termination of rights to municipal land in the capital was adopted, authored by Viktoria Ptashnik (ES) and Dmitry Belotserkovets (UDAR).
"There have definitely been positive changes in land matters: they've stopped submitting batches of 100-200 land decisions at a time, with only a few seconds spent discussing each one (back when the case number was simply announced and the matter was immediately put to a vote). They're simply afraid that we've adopted new rules, " asserts Viktoria Ptashnik of ES, co-author of the new land regulations. " Questions must now be considered in order of their registration date: you can't quickly push through a new, 'necessary' matter—old ones must be considered first. Furthermore, a ton of information must now be made public during land case hearings—various comments, letters from law enforcement agencies, any disputes, encumbrances, etc. When so much information on a land case is required to be made public at a session, it's not easy to push through something illegal. Plus, it attracts the attention of law enforcement."
Among the candidates for Terentyev's place on the committee in the deputy corps, the names of the aforementioned Vladimir Slonchak (Batkivshchyna), Zoya Yarosh (Voice), and Oles Maliarevych (Udar) are being mentioned, but so far the issue of replacing the head has not moved forward.
Tkachenko - out?
Another red flag holding Klitschko back from the secretary replacement saga is the fear of a split in the motley UDAR faction. Some members of the faction have long been operating independently: Dmytro Belotserkovets, a longtime member of Klitschko's team, lost the competition for influence with the mayor and resigned as co-chair of the mayoral faction on the Kyiv City Council last September.
Dmitry Belotserkovets and the well-appointed feeding trough (Part 1)
"Right now, I'm primarily helping military units—defending subsidies so the city will allocate more funds for the military ," he tells Glavkom. And some of the UDAR members, feeling like outcasts within their own faction, even prefer to resolve their issues not through the mayor's office, but through the "enemy" Kyiv City Military Administration (KCMA). However, the influence of this "presidential viceroy" in the capital is melting away like snow in spring.
Klitschko managed to, if not neutralize, then at least delay the threat of dual power in the city that loomed after Timur Tkachenko was appointed head of the Kyiv Metropolitan Municipality at the end of 2024.
Internal upheavals in the Presidential Office, which was shifting focus to higher-priority issues—from last year's "Cardboard Square" protests and government reforms to the endless Midas affair— played into the mayor's hands . Furthermore, Klitschko's problems with the central government were largely linked to the person of the once-all-powerful former head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak . In fact, Tkachenko's appointment, which was intended to be a "black mark" for Klitschko, was one of Andriy Borisovich's "special operations."
Tkachenko is a direct protégé of the current Minister for Communities and Territories Development and former Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Oleksiy Kuleba, who is directly associated with Yermak. After Yermak left Bankova, Kuleba was one of the next candidates to leave. He has managed to hold on to the government for now, but his position as minister has been significantly weakened. And with it, his influence in Kyiv, which has also affected the position of the head of the Kyiv State Defense Army.
Head of the Kyiv City State Security Service, Timur Tkachenko, is expected to resign soon, but he denies any intention of leaving his post. // Photo: facebook.com/timurtkachenko
Kiev
"Timur has already been 'eaten,' but not yet fired; they're looking for a replacement," says a source on Kuleba's team at Glavkom. "This experiment has been deemed not particularly successful. But, to be fair, Timur hasn't been given any real support, either in terms of budgetary influence or resources. Because without a budget, what can you do? Just write messages."
Bankova was considering replacing Tkachenko with disgraced former Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov , who unexpectedly emerged from obscurity and was appointed presidential adviser. In response to a question from Glavkom, the president noted that he was communicating with the former official specifically about Kyiv: "We're discussing the possibility of strengthening the capital's preparations for next winter... I'm still considering what that status is."
Former Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov discusses his possible involvement in Kyiv's winter preparations with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy // photo: facebook.com/zelenskyy.official
Kiev
Kubrakov may be drawn to the Kyiv track, but, as Glavkom has learned, he is currently fighting off the prospect of assuming the position of head of the Kyiv City State Administration, which was "compromised" by his predecessors. And it's understandable: many in the presidential team want to send Kubrakov to the electric chair to finally extinguish any independent political ambitions of his former ally. Another candidate being touted as a contender to replace Tkachenko at the Kyiv City State Administration is Ivan Fedorov , the current head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration and former mayor of the now-occupied Melitopol . He even has some experience, albeit limited, in the Kyiv City State Administration: in 2019, Fedorov headed the Department of Transport Infrastructure for several months.
While the contenders weigh the risks of the Kyiv City State Administration (KGVA) post, the excitement surrounding the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) has somewhat subsided within the Presidential Office. The new head of the Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, was immediately immersed in peace negotiations after his appointment, and the situation in Kyiv was certainly not one of his priorities. The former head of the GUR only recently began establishing contacts with the Verkhovna Rada, and Klitschko's entourage is also attempting to build a clean slate of relations with him. Overall, Budanov, cautious in domestic matters, demonstrates a completely different management style than his predecessor and does not yet give the impression of someone who will spend much time on murky behind-the-scenes games in the capital. This gives Klitschko some hope for a reset in relations with Bankova.
Winter is coming…
However, it's not as if the central government has completely abandoned Kyiv with the arrival of spring. To keep Klitschko from getting complacent, the government sternly reminded him that winter was only a few months away. At a meeting with Klitschko's team, Kuleba demanded that Kyiv deliver contractually agreed-upon solutions with clear deadlines, a funding schedule, and designated responsible parties. It's noteworthy that Kyiv State Security Service head Tkachenko was not present at this meeting. The deadline was May 10, which was Sunday. If the deadline was not met, the minister threatened to "assess the capital's leadership's management capabilities to prepare for challenges, having all the resources to do so."
Klitschko's main "troll," Maxim Bakhmatov, chairman of the Desnyansky district administration, also delivered a peculiar ultimatum to Kuleba.
The Kyiv City Council's next meeting on May 14 is scheduled to review the budget, in part due to the need to find funding for the implementation of the "Energy Resilience Plan" adopted in January . The plan's total budget is over UAH 67 billion. The plan's main weakness is the assumption that the state will cover the majority of the funding (meaning that the Kyiv City Council deputies have effectively "chosen" tasks for the central government).
But the purely local slice of the pie is also substantial: 13 billion hryvnias, and even this figure may be understated. "This adjustment requires taking funds from capital construction expenditures that have already been distributed among our own. And no one wants to share them," say the Governor-in-Chief's sources close to the Kyiv mayor.
Kiev
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Budget Committee Chairman Andriy Vitrenko explains that the adjustments will take into account the need to increase Kyivteploenergo's authorized capital by €50 million. Deputies must also initiate the process of attracting loans from state-owned banks to implement the plan.
"I'm analyzing which budget lines could be diverted, and I see that we do indeed have a large number of questionable projects, " Vitrenko explains. "For example, why should the city finance bike path construction now? Better bike paths or warmer winters? I've calculated about a billion hryvnias in the housing and utilities sector alone that could be diverted, and no one would even notice."
The head of the UDAR faction, Myroslava Smirnova, claims that the city budget plans to receive 2,7 billion hryvnias through borrowed funding.
"There are banks willing to partner with Kyiv, which has a good credit history, so energy efficiency funding is being actively attracted, " Klitschko's ally assured in a comment to Glavkom. " Up to 700 million hryvnias are planned for electrical panels, which have suffered numerous fires: 300 million have already been found, and we're currently determining where to transfer another 400 million. An additional billion will go to the 'Defender of Kyiv' program, and over 700 million hryvnias will be used to reimburse discounted travel."
Kiev
The head of the UDAR faction, Miroslava Smirnova, claims that cutting public improvement spending to finance winter preparations will be problematic // photo: facebook.com/SmirnovaMyroslava
According to Smirnova, the increased city budget expenditures will be financed through current revenues, international funding, and the Reserve Fund: "There's not much else to draw from. When they say we need to 'cut' landscaping or capital construction, that's a superficial assessment. For example, if tenders have already been held, how are we going to get the funds from there? Businesses that operate, provide jobs, pay taxes, and have some expectations. We simply risk a flood of lawsuits in this case."
While Kyiv authorities are preparing for a challenging heating season and expecting a new round of confrontation with Bankova Street closer to autumn, another "natural disaster" could strike Khreshchatyk much sooner. According to Glavkom sources, the NABU is preparing new episodes of Operation Clean City, which will cover not only the "toilet schemes" but also other episodes of questionable budget allocation in the capital.
Skelet.Org
On the topic : Has the Kyiv City State Administration Head submitted his resignation? Tkachenko responded to media reports.
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