In brief: Investigators searched offices and homes of Kyivteploenergo employees, Kyiv authorities said, warning that the possible seizure of original documents could disrupt energy resilience projects. The utility says the design work remains unpaid and completion certificates have not been signed. City officials suggested the searches could represent political pressure as Russian attacks strain the capital’s heating and power systems.
Investigators searched offices and homes of employees at Kyiv’s municipal heating utility, Kyivteploenergo, on Friday, Nov. 6, warning that the possible seizure of project documents could complicate work on backup energy supplies.
The Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) said the investigative actions concerned original design and cost-estimate documentation, along with paperwork needed to begin projects under the capital’s Energy Resilience Plan.
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The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office subsequently rejected KCSA’s account, saying the information published “does not correspond to reality.”
Prosecutors said no searches took place at the premises and no documents needed for the city’s Resilience Plan were seized.
Court-authorized searches were conducted only at the homes of two utility employees and contractor staff in an investigation into suspected budget embezzlement through inflated construction costs. No documents were taken from the utility employees’ homes. Prosecutors also said some work under contracts from 2024 and March 2026 had already been accepted and paid for, and insisted the searches could not affect the rollout of heating.
The projects include backup electricity supplies and distributed cogeneration facilities for consumers in Desnianskyi, Holosiivskyi, and other districts.
Cogeneration facilities produce heat and electricity together, helping provide local sources of energy alongside the city’s larger infrastructure.
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Utility says design work remains unpaid
Kyivteploenergo said the design work covered by the investigation had not yet been paid for because financing was scheduled after its completion.
Certificates confirming completed work had neither been signed nor paid, according to the city administration’s account.
“Such investigative actions may indicate political pressure. The seizure of documentation could complicate the implementation of important energy projects,” the administration said.
It described the situation as particularly critical during preparations for the heating season, citing Russian attacks, logistical difficulties, and a shortage of specialists.
The utility’s staff urged law enforcement to take a fair approach to the investigation and called for comprehensive media coverage.
The statement did not identify the investigating agency, specify the alleged offense, or name the employees involved. It did not include investigators’ explanation of the case.
Kyiv is building backup heating facilities
The searches come as Kyiv works to expand alternative energy supplies after repeated Russian attacks on infrastructure.
Acting first deputy city administration head Petro Panteleiev said on Thursday that Kyiv was building 13 backup heating facilities, with completion planned by the end of 2026.
Seven projects are being carried out by the city and six by the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development.
Work is underway at all sites. Panteleiev said the facilities had not been scheduled to be commissioned before the heating season began.
The search announcement did not specify whether the projects under investigation were among those 13 facilities.
Residential heating connections began on Monday, and Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Thursday that almost 45% of residential buildings had been connected.
Panteleiev said most buildings should receive heating by Nov. 12, barring emergencies. Hospitals, schools, kindergartens, and other social facilities began receiving heat earlier, from Oct. 16.
Power failures repeatedly disrupt essential services
Kyiv experienced renewed water outages across all districts on Thursday after water facilities lost electricity, just a day after authorities announced full restoration.
Kyivvodokanal said supplies were gradually returning as its specialists worked with energy crews. Emergency electricity cuts were also imposed in parts of Sviatoshynskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and the Podilskyi districts.
The city is separately developing backup electricity infrastructure for water and sewage facilities. Panteleiev said a first stage providing 16 megawatts of generating capacity had already been built, with the broader project due for completion by year-end.
The government also announced on Thursday that it would provide 10 additional generators to Kyiv’s water utility and another 21 to 12 communities elsewhere in Ukraine. The equipment will be financed from the state reserve fund.
The disruptions followed a Russian bombardment on Monday and Tuesday, which that knocked three thermal power plants offline, according to DTEK.
The company reported extensive equipment damage but did not identify the affected stations or provide a repair timetable.
Klitschko warned on Thursday that restoring and maintaining key infrastructure remained difficult without sufficient air defense protection against repeated missile and drone attacks.
He said an energy coordination headquarters had been operating since spring, bringing together specialists and scientists to prepare contingency measures for different scenarios. Some details could not be disclosed publicly, he added.
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