Mykolaivvodokanal has been included in the list of monopoly enterprises: there are 104 such enterprises in the region

The ‘Mykolaivvodokanal’ municipal enterprise. Photo from the enterprise’s page

«Mykolaivvodokanal» has been included in the updated list of natural monopolies in Ukraine. In total, there are currently 104 such enterprises in the region, and over 3,700 nationwide.

This is according to data from OpenDataBot, as reported by NikVesti.

There are currently 3,730 natural monopoly entities registered in Ukraine. Over the past two years, their number has increased by approximately 100 companies and entrepreneurs.

The Odesa region has the highest number of such enterprises — 366. This is followed by the Poltava region — 337 — and the Kyiv region — nearly 298. There are 284 natural monopolies operating in the Kherson region, and 104 in the Mykolaiv region.

Among the new entrants to the list, apart from «Mykolaivvodokanal», which earned 431.5 million hryvnias, the Pivdennyi Sea Trade Port, which generated 3.2 billion hryvnias in revenue in 2025, and Khmelnytskyi Vodokanal, with revenue of 385.4 million hryvnias.

Where are the most natural monopolies? Infographic: OpenDataBot

«Energoatom» remains Ukraine’s largest natural monopoly, with an annual revenue of 254.7 billion hryvnias. Second place is held by «Ukrenergo» with 107.7 billion hryvnias, and third by «Ukrnafta» with almost 99.6 billion hryvnias. «Ukrzaliznytsia» and «Ukrgazvydobuvannia» also feature in the top five.

It should be noted that the majority of natural monopolies operate in the utilities sector. One in three companies is involved in centralised water supply, whilst another third deals with water supply and drainage. A further 27 per cent of enterprises operate in the heat transmission sector.

Of all natural monopolies, 97 per cent are companies — that is, 3,607 enterprises. More than half of these are public utilities (57 per cent), whilst a further 22 per cent are limited liability companies.

Areas of activity of natural monopolies. Infographic: OpenDataBot

It is worth noting that «Mykolaivvodokanal» loses around 500 million hryvnias annually due to water leaks, and the company’s losses have already reached almost 700 million hryvnias. In addition to financial problems, systemic shortcomings have been identified at the company in management, cost control, the use of donor aid and the organisation of work in individual departments.

The Mykolaivvodokanal’s supervisory board

The municipal enterprise «Mykolaivvodokanal» has become the first municipal enterprise to have a supervisory board in place. This is a collegial body that exercises strategic oversight of the company’s activities, approves key management decisions and financial plans, and assesses the performance of the management. It does not interfere in day-to-day operations; it influences the appointment and evaluation of the director, but will not dismiss or hire staff at other levels.

The decision to establish supervisory boards in Mykolaiv’s municipal enterprises was adopted in 2024 as part of corporate governance reform. Yuliia Mincheva, an external adviser to the Mayor of Mykolaiv, noted that the supervisory boards would, after all, be a governing body rather than an advisory one, with responsibility for the decisions taken. They will bear both legal and financial responsibility for their actions.

In January 2025, a competition was announced to select independent members, and on 29 May 2025, the council’s composition was approved by the city council.