In 2025, city councils and their subordinate structures contracted nearly 149 million hryvnias for advertising. About the PR of city mayors.
While Ukrainians are closing funds for drones, shelters, and vehicles for the front, some city councils continue to spend millions of dollars from the budget on their own media promotions. Despite the war, budget deficits, and ongoing debates about the feasibility of such spending, approaches to advertising procurement remain largely unchanged. In many cities, the same providers, the same media, and the same promotional formats—television, radio, online publications, and social media—have remained in place for years, writes Glavkom.
The Dozorro Transparency International Ukraine team has been analyzing advertising service procurement from Prozorro since 2020. This time, the focus is on city councils and their subordinate structures that signed the largest contracts for mayoral PR in 2025. We not only calculated their contract amounts but also identified what exactly they ordered, where this content is published, and what it looks like. So, where are these millions of budget funds going: informing the public about the work of local governments or promoting mayors? Read on to find out.
How mayors' PR was calculated
This study included all procurements for 2025, regardless of procedure, but only contracts with the status "active" or "completed" were considered. The sample also included procurements announced last year, but contracts signed in early 2026.
The core of the sample consists of purchases classified under 79340000-9 "Advertising and Marketing Services." However, other common categories that may include PR were also examined. To avoid missing relevant purchases that clients may classify differently, we used keyword searches—coverage, placement, promotion.
Media guesses within advertising contracts were analyzed separately. Python scripts were written using the Claude AI assistant. These scripts collected materials from online media outlets for 2025, where the studied city councils purchased coverage of their activities. From these news items, the scripts selected mentions of city councils (various versions of the names in different cases) and their mayors. The selections were also manually verified. We then compared the number of mentions with the KPIs defined in the contracts for the corresponding advertising and information services in 2025.
Which city councils order the most advertising?
In 2025, city councils and their subordinate structures contracted approximately UAH 149 million for advertising. This is slightly less than in 2024, when the amount reached UAH 157 million. This time, the leaders in the rankings have changed slightly. The largest sums for advertising services were spent in Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Kamianske. However, Dnipro, which for years spent the most on advertising in the country, sharply reduced its spending and dropped down the list.
Most often, city councils purchased:
- advertising on social networks,
- outdoor advertising (billboards),
- radio and television,
- development and implementation of complex advertising campaigns.
Below, we'll detail how cities spend these funds, who receives the commission, and what content they create.
Krivoy Rog - performers and Vilkuls became the main characters in most publications
Kryvyi Rih was among the leaders in terms of contracted advertising funds in 2025, spending UAH 37 million. However, more than half of this amount was accounted for by contracts signed in early 2026. However, the procurement itself was announced in 2025, which impacted the overall annual figure. If we count only contracts signed in 2025, the city allocated UAH 17,3 million for advertising.
The Kryvyi Rih City Development Institute received a larger contract. In February 2025, the company signed a 12 million UAH contract with Media-Sistema Television and Radio Company LLC for coverage of security, infrastructure, social programs, and government activities. The content was broadcast on the radio stations Radio Pyatnytsia, Megapolis, Radio Kryvbas, Perets FM, and Stilnoye, as well as the television channels Pervyi Gorodskoy and OTV. Media-Sistema Television and Radio Company LLC is associated with the circle of Oleksandr Vilkul , the Chairman of the Security Council of Kryvyi Rih and a former member of the Verkhovna Rada and Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council. His father, Yuriy Vilkul, has served as Acting Mayor of Kryvyi Rih since 2021.
Already in early 2026, this utility company signed another, essentially identical, contract for UAH 13,7 million. This time, the contractor was Novaya Teleradiocompany LLC (OTV channel) . Its owners, Stanislav Basov and Oksana Nechay, also own OTV Public Television LLC . This company provided similar services in 2024.
Separately, the Kryvyi Rih City Development Institute purchases coverage in newspapers and online media. Last year, 5,2 million hryvnias were contracted for this, and another 6 million hryvnias were awarded in early 2026. The contract was awarded to Kryvbas On-Line Information Agency LLC , which had worked with the city before. The company is associated with Yaroslav Givel, a member of parliament from Vilkul's Opposition Bloc. The funds are used to place materials on the websites Kryvbas On-Line, Pulse, 1 First City.KR, and Informator, as well as in the newspapers Pulse, Moya Gazeta Domashnyaya, Vecher, and Vozrast. Vestnik Kryvbassa. The list of media outlets remains virtually unchanged from year to year.
However, the expenses themselves are only part of the story. A content analysis revealed that press releases from the Kryvyi Rih City Development Institute are quite easily tracked in local media—these materials are directly labeled with the utility's name and sometimes appear in special sections. At the same time, over 90% of such publications, depending on the media outlet, consistently mention Yuriy or Oleksandr Vilkul. This suggests that a significant portion of official content in the city is built around personalized coverage of local government leaders. Furthermore, approximately half of the press release titles are quotes from one of the Vilkuls. For example, "O. Vilkul: We are gradually equipping kindergartens, schools, and gymnasiums with modern energy-efficient technologies—for the comfort of children and teachers and to reduce energy costs."
Dozorro contacted the Kryvyi Rih City Council asking for an explanation for its high advertising expenditures, their purpose, and their effectiveness assessment. The city council responded that the primary budget administrators themselves determine how to spend money within the approved budget, and all expenses are made in accordance with the law.
Kharkiv — more about the city council's activities
Kharkiv City Council ranks second with UAH 19,3 million. This is almost the same as the 2024 budget (UAH 21 million). Kharkiv's PR spending is stable not only in terms of amounts but also in approach: the mayor's office continues to work with the same providers and focuses on television, radio, and local online media.
The Kharkiv City Council contracted approximately UAH 7 million for the placement of news and programs on television. The agreement with Intercom-Invest LLC was signed in late 2025 for services to be provided in 2026. The city had used a similar practice the previous year.
Another 5,5 million hryvnias were allocated for the broadcasting of materials about the activities of the city council, mayor, and executive committee on the radio. One of the contracts was signed in late 2025 for services that will be provided this year. As in 2024, these services will be provided by Denis Sergeyevich Okunev, a sole proprietor.
A separate 4,5 million hryvnias were spent on coverage of government work, infrastructure projects, security measures, and social programs in local media outlets: Slobodskoy Kray, Mysl, Status Quo, and Obiektiv. The latter is owned by city council official Oleksandr Davtyan and his children.
However, the expenditures themselves don't always reflect the nature of such communication. A content analysis revealed that in Kharkiv, it is less personalized around the mayor than in Kryvyi Rih. In "Slobodsky Krai" and "Mysl," the city council was mentioned more often than Ihor Terekhov. At the same time, some media outlets focus more on the mayor. This is most noticeable on the website "Objective," where Terekhov was mentioned in almost 15% of all news stories for 2025—roughly twice as often as the city council. At the same time, a significant portion of these mentions are quotes from official reports of city shelling. The mayor's name appears in news headlines significantly less frequently than in Kryvyi Rih.
Kyiv - social campaigns
Kyiv ranks third. Kyiv City Council agencies contracted UAH 18,4 million for information and communications campaigns, slightly less than the UAH 20 million target for 2024.
The capital is focusing primarily on social projects: printed media distribution, promotion on social media, radio, and outdoor advertising. The largest contract was awarded to the "Communications Center" public utility company—7,4 million hryvnias for over 20 campaigns. These include:
- Information on Ukraine’s partnership with the EU – 376 thousand UAH;
- Recruiting for the Rubezh brigade for the National Guard - 389 thousand UAH;
- Vaccination campaigns – 386 thousand UAH;
- Popularization of service in the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - 379 thousand UAH;
- Campaign “KMAN – a space of opportunities, development and victory” – 350 thousand UAH;
- Campaign "Report Corruption!" - 315 thousand UAH;
- Campaign “Business space in the capital – fast, modern, legal!” – 338 thousand UAH;
- The "Metro for Everyone: Convenience, Safety, and Work" campaign — UAH 235.
Materials and descriptions of these campaigns are available on the Communication Center's website . To find out where exactly these advertisements were placed, we submitted an information request. In response, the Communication Center provided a list of addresses and distribution channels—from billboards, citylights, and the subway to radio stations and social media.
PR of mayors
PR of mayors
The Kyiv City State Administration's Department of Public Communications spent another UAH 6 million. The funds went toward the following campaigns, among others:
- Information on social benefits through the “Portal of Defenders and Defenders” - 477 thousand UAH;
- Information on action plans for families of those missing and captured during the war - 463 thousand UAH;
- Public consultations and explanations on renaming toponyms - 390 thousand UAH;
- Information about the reform of the Medical and Social Expertise Commission and assessment of people’s functioning - 334 thousand UAH;
- The "Become Part of the Team. Choose Your Sport" campaign cost UAH 335.
According to the department, these campaigns were placed on billboards, citylights, in the metro, at bus stops, and in other crowded places. Additionally, audio of these campaigns was broadcast on the radio, and video was shown on outdoor screens, in metro cars and on platforms, at administrative service centers, and on social media. More detailed materials and descriptions of these campaigns are available on the department's website.
Other Kyiv clients also spent money on advertising. For example, the Kyiv Zoo spent 1,8 million hryvnias on metro advertising, and Kyivinform spent 700 hryvnias on promoting the news of Vecherniy Kyiv via ukr.net.
Kamenskoye - social advertising and the mayor who made it
Kamenskoe ranked fourth with UAH 12,8 million, slightly less than the 2024 figure of UAH 15 million. The city council's advertising department contracted more funds, receiving UAH 3 million. More than half of this amount, UAH 1,7 million, went to Dmitry Andreevich Ryabov, a sole proprietor , for the production of public service announcements and stories. He continued to work with the department in 2024. The remaining UAH 1,3 million was used to cover the work of executive bodies on the websites Naspravdi.net, Kamenskoe.net, Ukrtime.net, DneprNEWS, and DneprLife.
The Kamianka City Council spent UAH 2,9 million separately. These funds were distributed as follows:
- 698 thousand UAH — to S-Collegium LLC for providing information about the activities of the city council on the Internet;
- 600 thousand UAH - TRK "Sterkh" for the broadcast of stories on television;
- 599 thousand UAH - Municipal Enterprise "City Information Service" for the creation and broadcast of materials;
- 596 thousand UAH – TRK “Skifiya” for radio broadcasts;
- 277 thousand UAH — LLC “IA “Close Look!” for publications on the website;
- 97,6 thousand UAH — LLC “05692” for coverage of the city council’s activities on the website.
In Kamenskoye, almost all analyzed media outlets mention Mayor Andrei Belousov far more often than the City Council. This is most noticeable in the municipal media outlet MIS, where the mayor's name appears in almost a third of all materials for the year. The overall trend indicates that the city's information communications are largely focused on the mayor. News headlines often include statements like "The Mayor of Kamenskoye did something." The percentage of such publications varies by media outlet, but they are present in all of them. However, it's worth noting that a significant portion of news articles mentioning Belousov only contain quotes from him, despite covering social services, the work of city agencies, and the City Council.
Dnepr: A sharp drop in spending
Dnipro is next in the ranking, with PR spending significantly reduced. Last year, the city contracted UAH 8,7 million—approximately seven times less than in 2024, when Dnipro led the city with UAH 43 million.
This sharp decline occurred amid a criminal investigation into preliminary PR expenses. In October 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police reported the uncovering of a scheme to embezzle at least UAH 34 million in advertising purchases from 2021 to 2023. As early as August 2025, the Prosecutor General's Office filed a notice of suspicion against Andriy Kovalenko, former director of the Organizational and Analytical Service. According to investigators, the funds were transferred to controlled sole proprietors, often unrelated to advertising. The funds were then cashed out. A total of UAH 95 million was allocated for these services in 2022–2023, of which UAH 42 million, according to an expert assessment, may have been embezzled.
Despite this, the city's communications approach hasn't disappeared—only the scale and structure have changed. Following the scandals, the city council liquidated the municipal enterprise "Organizational and Analytical Service," which had previously handled the bulk of its PR expenses. Instead, a new municipal enterprise, "Open Dnipro," was created, which has already secured 886 hryvnias in contracts for outdoor advertising. Specifically, this concerns billboards featuring Mayor Borys Filatov , which may be considered political advertising.
Separately, the Department for Self-Organization of the Population spent UAH 1,1 million on the production and installation of address signs.
The largest client in 2025 was the Dnipro City Television Studio (DniprTV). The company signed a UAH 4 million contract with Zolotaya Seredina LLC for the placement of 166 publications on the Obozdatel website. An additional UAH 2 million was allocated for strategy development and promotion of the municipal television channel on social media.
A content analysis of the "Dnipro News" section on Oboz.ua revealed that the city council was mentioned more often than Borys Filatov—in 22% of news stories versus almost 19%. Meanwhile, a third of the stories that mentioned the city council also mentioned the mayor.
Who buys advertising through Prozorro, besides city councils?
In total, approximately UAH 600 million was contracted for advertising through Prozorro in 2025. This is an increase from over UAH 520 million in 2024. However, the market growth was primarily driven by the commercial sector. Privatbank, Sberbank, Naftogaz Ukrainy, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Ukrposhta are once again among the largest advertisers. They finance advertising not from the budget, but through their own commercial activities. At the same time, some major clients also use public funds, including city councils and teachers.
Regional contracts and mayoral PR
The regional picture remains broadly similar to the previous year. More than half of all advertising contracts were in the Kyiv region—UAH 346,2 million. A significant portion of this amount comes from state-owned banks, Ukrposhta, and large commercial companies registered in the capital. Excluding these companies, the volume of contracts in the region totals approximately UAH 73,9 million. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast ranks second with UAH 75,5 million. Kryvyi Rih accounts for the largest share—UAH 37 million. Kharkiv Oblast also made it into the top three with UAH 34,8 million.
Separately, six purchases worth UAH 2,2 million were not tied to a specific region and were therefore not included in the regional analysis. These included services for recruiting campaigns commissioned by military units and the Central Television and Radio Studio of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine as part of the "Defending Our Own" information campaign.
Conclusions about mayors' PR
Analysis shows that, despite changes in spending, communications approaches in most city councils remain largely unchanged. Year after year, they employ the same providers, the same media, and the same formats—television, radio, online resources, and social media. Dnipro, following the criminal investigation, has become more of an exception: the city has significantly reduced its advertising spending, but the communications model itself hasn't disappeared—it's simply become more limited in scope and partially migrated to new structures.
At the same time, the question is not only about the amount of expenditure, but also the content of such communications. Some information campaigns truly serve an important public function: they provide information about security, the operation of critical infrastructure, social services, and support for the military and veterans. Such communications can be especially necessary during times of war.
PR of mayors
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However, at the same time, a significant portion of the content is aimed at systematically promoting the activities of local authorities and shaping a positive image of officials. This is most noticeable in Kryvyi Rih and Kamianske, where media content is largely personalized around local leaders. Kharkiv appears more reserved, although some media outlets there also place a noticeable emphasis on the mayor.
As a result, the line between publicly important information and political PR using public funds remains blurred in many cases.
Skelet.Org
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