In June 2026, the Kyiv prosecutor's office and Desnyansky District State Administration head Maksym Bakhmatov publicly reported the red-handed exposure of the head of the education department. For $4 in "gratitude," she helped win several tenders for a "reliable" company whose markups on school products cost the budget at least 3 million hryvnias in overpayments. So, Granat LLC.
Telegraf obtained the pre-trial investigation materials and unraveled the entire chain. It turns out the bribe was paid by Granat LLC, a company that has already pocketed over 880 million hryvnias from Kyiv cafeterias. Moreover , it sold products to other districts of the capital at even higher prices than to Desnyanskyi. However, law enforcement has no questions about those contracts. Therefore, the actual overpayment could be tens of times greater.
Despite a high-profile scandal and criminal case, Granat continues to feed Moscow schoolchildren unhindered. Telegraph's investigation reveals who's really behind this scheme.
Chicken at a special price: how the feeder company LLC "Granat" works
National Police investigators analyzed only a few of the dozens of agreements concluded between Granat LLC and teachers. For example, a contract for the supply of chicken fillets from February 2024, worth a total of UAH 13,29 million.
Commodity and economic assessments clearly indicated that the real market price of chilled fillet at that time was 142,72 UAH/kg, and frozen – 146,73 UAH/kg.
The contract signed on February 11, 2024, by Desnyanka District State Administration representative Olena Cherniy (and available to the editors), lists a completely different figure: 166,2 hryvnias per kilogram. 80 tons of meat were purchased at this price. According to investigators, Desnyanka District State Administration officials "overpaid" significantly more than a million hryvnias in this transaction alone.
The price listed in the contract with the Desnyansky District State Administration's Department of Education. Screenshot
But the most interesting thing is that even this inflated price turned out to be a “promotional” price compared to neighboring areas.
Just a few weeks earlier, on January 24, 2024, Granat LLC sold over 66 tons of chicken to the Svyatoshinsky District State Administration's Department of Education, now at 168,3 UAH/kg. And for some reason, law enforcement has no questions about this contract.
The price specified in the contract with the Svyatoshinsky District State Administration's Department of Education. Screenshot
Even earlier, on January 22, the same Granat signed a contract with the Darnytsia District State Administration for 80 tons of fillet at 155 UAH/kg. This is also above the market price, but significantly cheaper than its neighbors. If the Svyatoshinsky District State Administration had purchased at the Darnytsia price, it would have spent 10,24 million UAH instead of 11,12 million.
The price specified in the contract with the Darnytsia District State Administration's Department of Education. Screenshot
On such a scale, even a few hryvnias in difference turns into millions of profits.
How much did a kilogram of chicken fillet cost? Telegraph infographic
While Granat representatives might be able to wriggle out of the price in court with the help of alternative expert assessments, explaining a direct bribe will be much more difficult.
From the prosecutor's office's statement : "The head of the winning company transferred $4000 in 'gratitude' to the intermediaries who guaranteed victory in the procurement."
The names have not been officially disclosed. However, the head of Granat LLC is Ekaterina Belokrinitskaya. Telegraf has uncovered a court order in the proceedings against the LLC, which seized a telephone, several seals, and the same $4.
Tellingly, the bribe was being transported in a luxury 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV worth approximately $150. In addition to cash, stamps from several private entrepreneurs and companies were found inside: TOR Volt LLC, Karman Avto, and Agrovita-IR.
Granata has a soft spot for expensive cars: the company even owns the legendary 2022 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a $200 cube. Feeding children is, as we can see, a highly profitable business.
A statement from Desnyansky District State Administration Head Bakhmatov, citing the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office press service. Screenshot
In total, Granat LLC has already tendered UAH 887 million. Desnyansky District State Administration Head Maksym Bakhmatov clarified that the former head of the local education department (likely Lyudmila Rozhkova, who headed it from June 2022 to December 2025) was under suspicion. She was fired right in the midst of the investigation.
But neither the dismissal nor the criminal cases had any impact on the business machine. In February 2026, the new leadership of the Desnyansky District Administration signed another contract with Granat for 67 tons of fillet—this time at 157,98 UAH/kg (worth 10,58 million UAH). By comparison, a month earlier, in January 2026, the Svyatoshinsky District State Administration ordered chicken from them at... 198 UAH/kg (worth 21,1 million UAH).
It seems high-profile investigations are forcing officials to curb their appetites in just one particular district. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials are simply turning a blind eye to similar contracts in the Svyatoshinsky district.
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Who's really behind the tender giants?
Ekaterina Belokrinitskaya founded Granat LLC in the late 1990s. It is one of the most influential players in the school nutrition market, with extensive connections. Clearly, isolated criminal cases won't stop its operations.
The company is divided between Belokrinitskaya and her relatives—Vladimir, Andriy, and Yulia Tsyganko, as well as Ekaterina Dedova. Belokrinitskaya, Yulia, and Vladimir Tsyganko also own Business Plus LTD LLC (which has won tenders worth 227 million hryvnias). Overall, the family has secured contracts worth over a billion hryvnias.
The profits are corresponding: each member of the family owns real estate and a fleet of vehicles; in particular, two three-room apartments in the RiverStone residential complex are registered to family members.
Regarding the companies whose seals were seized during the car search: "Karman Avto" was established a year and a half ago. It is registered to 28-year-old Dmitry Bondaruk and is located in his apartment building in Akademgorodok. Another company, "TOR Volt," has been in operation since March 2026 and is registered to the same Bondaruk in the village of Mikhaylovka-Rubezhovka, in a building where nine other unrelated companies are registered. "Agrovita-IR" is owned by Andriy Pomazan, a member of the 8th convocation of the Irpen City Council.
According to Telegraph's sources, another power broker (whose name we are not disclosing at this time) is behind this network. He was the one who built the bridges between officials and the pool of targeted enterprises.
How much budget funds did education officials transfer to Granat LLC? Telegraph infographic
In total, the Desnyanka District State Administration alone gave Granat over 100 million hryvnias. But that's a small fraction: the Darnytsia District State Administration transferred them 281 million hryvnias, Sviatoshynska 151,2 million hryvnias, and Shevchenkivska 55,2 million hryvnias. Will the heads of other districts be held accountable? As Telegraf's analysis shows, different districts paid completely different prices for identical products.
Perhaps it's time for law enforcement to look beyond petty bribes and take a broader view? After all, the masterminds behind this scheme clearly operate above the district level. Telegraph has officially contacted Granat LLC for comment. To be continued...
Skelet.Org
On the topic : A Kyiv firm outsmarted the state in a tender deal that resulted in 6,5 million hryvnias in losses.
LLC "Granat"
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